Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Encyclopedia
Kalaupapa National Historical Park is a United States
National Historical Park located in Kalaupapa, Hawaii
on the island
of Molokai
. It was established by the National Park Service
in 1980 to expand upon the earlier National Historic Landmark
site of the Kalaupapa Leper Settlement. Its goal is to preserve the cultural and physical settings of the two leper colonies
on the island of Molokai.
in 1865 cut the cultural ties and associations that preceding generations had established with the aina (land) over 900 years.
Thereafter, the establishment of isolation settlements, first at Kalawao
and then at Kalaupapa
, led to broader dislocations across Hawaiian society as the Kingdom
, and subsequently, the Territory of Hawaii
tried to control leprosy
(also known as Hansen's disease), a much feared illness, by forcibly relocating patients to the isolated peninsula. The impact of both the broken connections with the aina and of family members "lost" to Kalaupapa are still felt in Hawaii today.
Hansen's disease, caused by a bacteria-based infection, has been cured since the 1940s with the introduction of modern antibiotic
s. There are no active cases of Hansen's disease in the Kalaupapa settlement or on the Island of Molokai, and those who reside in the colony presently are the few remaining elderly former disease patients and their descendant families who wish to continue to live in the neighborhood of housing maintained on the peninsula.
missionary
-priest Father Damien
brought considerable attention to the leper colony both in the late 19th century but also in subsequent literature and popular culture. (He would be canonized
in 2009 as a Catholic saint.)
Robert Louis Stevenson
described the Molokai leper colony as a "prison fortified by nature". Jack London
visited in 1908 and wrote the Lepers of Molokai and Koolau the Leper in response.
The 1999 movie Molokai
featuring Peter O'Toole
and Kris Kristofferson
focuses on the story of Father Damien and the leper colony.
Long after the death of Father Damien, Belgian missionary priests from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
continued to devote their lives to work on Molokai and assist its ex-leper flock, most recent figures including Henri Systermans
and Fr. Joseph Hendricks whose death in November 2008 marked the end of this 140 year old tradition.
A leper colony in Hawaii, possibly the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement and National Historical Park, appeared in "Little Big Mom
", an episode of The Simpsons
. Bart and Homer were sent there after faking leprosy using oatmeal.
and Kalaupapa
. The community of Kalaupapa, on the leeward side of Kalaupapa Peninsula, is still home for a few elderly surviving former Hansen's disease-scarred patients, whose memories and experiences of their ordeals with surviving the disease are cherished. In Kalawao on the windward side of the peninsula are the churches of Siloama, established in 1866, and Saint Philomena
, associated with the work of St. Father Damien
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Historical Park located in Kalaupapa, Hawaii
Kalaupapa, Hawaii
Kalaupapa is a small unincorporated community on the island of Molokai in the U.S. state of Hawaii, within Kalawao County.The village is located on the Kalaupapa peninsula at the base of the highest sea cliffs in the world, dropping about into the Pacific Ocean.- Volcanic origin :Kalaupapa...
on the island
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
of Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
. It was established by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
in 1980 to expand upon the earlier National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
site of the Kalaupapa Leper Settlement. Its goal is to preserve the cultural and physical settings of the two leper colonies
Leper colony
A leper colony, leprosarium, or lazar house is a place to quarantine leprous people.-History:Leper colonies or houses became widespread in the Middle Ages, particularly in Europe and India, and often run by monastic orders...
on the island of Molokai.
Establishment of leper colony
The removal of the Native Hawaiian inhabitantsNative Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
in 1865 cut the cultural ties and associations that preceding generations had established with the aina (land) over 900 years.
Thereafter, the establishment of isolation settlements, first at Kalawao
Kalawao County, Hawaii
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 147 people, 115 households, and 21 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 172 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
and then at Kalaupapa
Kalaupapa, Hawaii
Kalaupapa is a small unincorporated community on the island of Molokai in the U.S. state of Hawaii, within Kalawao County.The village is located on the Kalaupapa peninsula at the base of the highest sea cliffs in the world, dropping about into the Pacific Ocean.- Volcanic origin :Kalaupapa...
, led to broader dislocations across Hawaiian society as the Kingdom
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
, and subsequently, the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
tried to control leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
(also known as Hansen's disease), a much feared illness, by forcibly relocating patients to the isolated peninsula. The impact of both the broken connections with the aina and of family members "lost" to Kalaupapa are still felt in Hawaii today.
Hansen's disease, caused by a bacteria-based infection, has been cured since the 1940s with the introduction of modern antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
s. There are no active cases of Hansen's disease in the Kalaupapa settlement or on the Island of Molokai, and those who reside in the colony presently are the few remaining elderly former disease patients and their descendant families who wish to continue to live in the neighborhood of housing maintained on the peninsula.
The Leper Colony in popular culture
The BelgianBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
-priest Father Damien
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
brought considerable attention to the leper colony both in the late 19th century but also in subsequent literature and popular culture. (He would be canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
in 2009 as a Catholic saint.)
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
described the Molokai leper colony as a "prison fortified by nature". Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
visited in 1908 and wrote the Lepers of Molokai and Koolau the Leper in response.
The 1999 movie Molokai
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien is a 1999 biopic of Father Damien, who was a Belgian priest working at the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement on the Hawaiian island of Molokai...
featuring Peter O'Toole
Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
and Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
focuses on the story of Father Damien and the leper colony.
Long after the death of Father Damien, Belgian missionary priests from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, priests, and nuns...
continued to devote their lives to work on Molokai and assist its ex-leper flock, most recent figures including Henri Systermans
John M. Systermans
John M. Systermans was born Jean-Marie Systermans, but was better known as Father Henry Systermans or Pater Henri Systermans. He was a 20th century Belgian-born missionary and priest with the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.He served for most of his life in Hawaii most notably...
and Fr. Joseph Hendricks whose death in November 2008 marked the end of this 140 year old tradition.
A leper colony in Hawaii, possibly the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement and National Historical Park, appeared in "Little Big Mom
Little Big Mom
Little Big Mom is the tenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 2000. In the episode, while the rest of the Simpson family goes skiing, Marge remains at the ski lodge due to her fear...
", an episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. Bart and Homer were sent there after faking leprosy using oatmeal.
Park description
Kalaupapa National Historical Park, established in 1980, preserves the physical settings for these stories. Within its boundaries are the historic Hansen's disease settlements of KalawaoKalawao County, Hawaii
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 147 people, 115 households, and 21 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 172 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
and Kalaupapa
Kalaupapa, Hawaii
Kalaupapa is a small unincorporated community on the island of Molokai in the U.S. state of Hawaii, within Kalawao County.The village is located on the Kalaupapa peninsula at the base of the highest sea cliffs in the world, dropping about into the Pacific Ocean.- Volcanic origin :Kalaupapa...
. The community of Kalaupapa, on the leeward side of Kalaupapa Peninsula, is still home for a few elderly surviving former Hansen's disease-scarred patients, whose memories and experiences of their ordeals with surviving the disease are cherished. In Kalawao on the windward side of the peninsula are the churches of Siloama, established in 1866, and Saint Philomena
Philomena
Saint Philomena is venerated as a virgin martyr saint of the Catholic Church, said to have been a young Greek princess martyred in the 4th century. Her veneration began in the early 19th century after the archaeological discovery in the Catacombs of Priscilla of the bones of a young woman, which...
, associated with the work of St. Father Damien
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
.