Ka nota a ka luna hoʻoponopono: Unuhi ʻia na Kamalani Johnson. Click here to read this article in English.

I ka wā i hemo hou ai ko Hawaiʻi ʻāina kaulana no ka poʻe loaʻa i ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana no nā mākaʻikaʻi ākea i Kepakemapa ma hope o ke pani ʻia no ka ʻelima makahiki ma muli o ka maʻi ahulau, ua ahuwale mai ka makemake nui.

Civil Beat stories ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi

‘Ka Ulana Pilina’ is an ongoing collection of news articles and opinion pieces written in the Hawaiian language to better connect with our Indigenous readers, identify underreported stories and improve our engagement with an underserved community.

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Ua pau nā noho he 80 o ka mākaʻikaʻi i ka makahiki 2025 i ka lilo i loko o ke 75 minuke, wahi a Randy King, ka mea hoʻokumu a luna hoʻokele hoʻokō o Seawind Tours & Travel, he pāʻoihana o Honolulu e alakaʻi pū ana i nā kipa ākea i kēia wahi kipa nui loa ʻia o Molokaʻi.

I kēia manawa, kūlanalana hou nā mākaʻikaʻi ākea o ia wahi.

Ma ka Poʻakahi, ua hala kahi ʻōhua nona ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana ʻo Meli Watanuki ma ka piha o nā makahiki 92 iā ia. ʻO kāna pāʻoihana ʻo Kalaupapa Saints Tours, ma ka hana pū me Seawind Tours, ka mea hoʻokahi i ʻae ʻia e mālama i nā mākaʻikaʻi pāʻoihana o ka Pāka Aupuni o Kalaupapa. ʻAʻole nō mōakāka inā e mau ka ʻae ʻia o nā mākaʻikaʻi me ka loaʻa ʻole o Watanuki.

“ʻO ka makamua kēia o ka loaʻa ʻole o kahi ʻōhua ola nāna e hoʻokele nei i nā mākaʻikaʻi,” i ʻōlelo ai ʻo John McBride, ka mea i hoʻokele pū he pāʻoihana mākaʻikaʻi o Kalaupapa me Watanuki ma mua o ke kū ʻana o nā kipa ākea i ka pāka i ka maʻi ahulau. “ʻAʻole nō ʻike kekahi i kahi e holo ai.”

ʻAʻole nō mālama ka National Park Service i nā mākaʻikaʻi pāka. Koi ʻia ma lalo o ke kānāwai pekelala a me ke kulekele NPS ka hoʻokele ʻia o nā pāʻoihana mākaʻikaʻi ma ia ʻāina na nā ʻōhua nona ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana e noho ana ma laila. Koi ʻia ka NPS e mālama i kēia ʻano ala pāʻoihana no nā ʻōhua a mea noho a pau ka hoihoi o ia poʻe.

Noho ʻelua ʻōhua nona ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana o Kalaupapa ma ka ʻāina ʻo Kalaupapa me ke kākoʻo ʻia e ke keʻena mālama ola mokuʻāina, nāna e hoʻolako ana i nā hale nona nā pono hale, nā kahu maʻi, a me ke kālā no ka meaʻai a lole.

ʻAʻohe mea o lāua i hoʻokele mua he pāʻoihana mākaʻikaʻi. ʻAʻole nō mōakāka inā ʻo ia ana kā lāua. ʻAʻole nō mōakāka ma lalo o ke kānāwai pekelala ke ala e holomua ai ka NPS inā ʻaʻohe ʻōhua e makemake ana e mālama i nā mākaʻikaʻi pāʻoihana.

Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Camryn Kunioka, he hoʻolaukaʻi huakaʻi hui o Seawind Tours, noa ka palapala ʻae mākaʻikaʻi ākea a i ka pau ʻana o ka makahiki. Aia ka pāʻoihana ke hoʻopaʻa nei i nā mākaʻikaʻi e like me ka mau a i Kekemapa 31.

“Ma hope o kēlā,” wahi āna, “ʻaʻole nō mōakāka ke ala o mua no nā mākaʻikaʻi. Ke hoʻāʻo nei mākou e kākoʻo i ka ʻohana ma ka hoʻoholo i ke ala e holomua ai, ua hoʻomaka ʻē nō naʻe mākou i ka hana pū me ka Park Service no ka hoʻoholomua i kēia mākaʻikaʻi.”

Ua hōʻoia mai kahi ʻelele NPS ma kahi leka uila no ka hoʻomau ʻana o nā mākaʻikaʻi e like me ka mea i hoʻolālā ʻia “ma ka hāpai i kā Meli hoʻoilina,” i ka wā e hoʻoholo ʻia ana ka hopena o nā kipa ākea i ka pāka. Ke kūkā pū nei ka hui i ka hoʻokumu ʻana i nā mākaʻikaʻi alakaʻi ʻia na NPS.

“He kaumaha ʻino ka hala ʻana o Meli Watanuki no ke kaiaulu o Kalaupapa a he wā loli nui nō ia no ka pāka,” i ʻōlelo ai kahi ʻelele o NPS ma kahi leka uila. “Ke hana pū nei ka NPS me kona poʻe a hoʻokele mākaʻikaʻi ma luna o nā ala e hoʻomau ʻia ai ka hana.”

Ua neʻe ʻo Watanuki i Kalaupapa nona iho nō, he 18 ona mau makahiki i kona wā i loaʻa ai i ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana ma kona ʻāina hānau ʻo Sāmoa ʻAmelika, ma hope o ka hū hou ʻana o nā ʻōuli o ka maʻi ma Honolulu ma nā 1960 ma hope o ka haʻalele ʻia e kāna kāne a me kāna keiki kāne ʻōpio. Iā ia e noho ana ma ka ʻāina ʻo Kalaupapa, ua hoʻopili aku ʻo ia a he mau hoa aloha a male hou kekahi.

Ma nā makahiki hope iho nei, ua hana ʻo ia ma ke ʻano he limahana kālā ma ka Hale Kūʻai o Kalaupapa a ua hoʻomaʻemaʻe pū i ka pā hale o ka Luakini Kakōlika ʻo St. Philomena ma ka ʻāina noho mua ʻo Kalawao no ka NPS. Ua hele maʻamau ʻo ia i ka pule.

Me kona hala ʻana ka ʻike no ke emi pū o ko Kalaupapa poʻe ʻōhua a he mea kēia e koʻikoʻi nei ka noʻonoʻo i ke ala no mua no ia wahi a keu ma waena o nā makemake o nā keʻena pekelala a mokuʻāina, nā Kānaka Maoli nona nā kuleana ʻāina ma ia wahi, a me nā mamo a nā mea i hoʻokaʻawale ʻia mai ka ʻohana mai. Kaʻa ka hoʻokaʻawale ʻia o nā ʻāina o ko Molokaʻi mau kapa kai ʻākau ma lalo o kahi mau ʻaelike hoʻokele a mālama ʻāina e loli auaneʻi i ka wā e loaʻa ʻole ai he lāhui ʻōhua ola o Kalaupapa.

Eia nā mea i akāka: Ma hope o ka hoʻokahi makahiki ma hope o ka hala ʻana o ka ʻōhua hope loa, e pili pū ana ʻo Kalaupapa, a he kalana ia nona iho nō ʻānō, he māhele o ke Kalana o Maui. E pau nā kulekele mokuʻāina e hoʻokele nei iā Kalaupapa a e lilo ka hoʻokele ʻia o ia ʻāina na ka National Park Service.

Wānana ʻia ke kaʻa o nā ʻeka ʻāina he 10,000 e kaʻa nei ma lalo o ke Keʻena Mālama ʻĀina a Kumuwaiwai ma lalo o ka NPS, nāna e mālama nei he 23 ʻeka ʻāina ʻānō.

Kaʻa he 1,247 hou ʻeka ʻāina ma lalo o ke Keʻena ʻĀina Hoʻopulapula Hawaiʻi. He kumuhana kūkā nui ʻia ke ala e hiki ai paha i nā ʻōhua Kānaka Maoli ke hele i kēia mau ʻāina ma ka makahiki pā anahulu i hala akula.

I ka wā e ʻae ana nā pāka aupuni ʻē aʻe he mau miliona kānaka o ka makahiki, he ʻae ko Kalaupapa he 100 mea kipa o ka lā ma ka nui loa, a helu pū ʻia nā limahana. I kēlā makahiki aku nei, ua hoʻēmi ʻia ka palena kipa i ke 30 kānaka o ka lā, he manaʻo hoʻoholo e hōʻihi ana i ka nohona o nā ʻōhua o laila e mau nei ka noho ma ia ʻāina, wahi a ka Luna Hoʻokele Pāka ʻo Nancy Holman.

He $649 kālā ke kumu kūʻai o nā mākaʻikaʻi hoʻopaʻa ʻia ma lalo o kā Watanuki pāʻoihana a he ʻewalu hola ka lōʻihi. Holo nā ʻōhua mākaʻikaʻi ma ka mokulele he 43 minuke ka lōʻihi mai Honolulu i ko Molokaʻi ʻāina kaʻawale ʻo Kalaupapa ma luna o kahi Cessna ʻeiwa ona noho i hoʻokele ʻia na Mokulele Airlines. Holo nā mākaʻikaʻi he ʻelima lā o ka pule a he ʻewalu kānaka ka palena no ka nui o ka mokulele.

Kipa nā ʻōhua mākaʻikaʻi, e lawe ana i kā lākou ʻaina awakea iho, i nā luakini kahiko, nā pā ilina a wahi koʻikoʻi ma ia wahi a ma nā wahi e pili pū ana me ka ʻāina noho o nā ʻōhua maʻi nona ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana, kahi i hoʻokaʻawale ʻino ʻia ai nā kānaka ma nā kaukani i loaʻa i ka maʻi mai ko lākou mau ʻohana no kahi kenekulia a ʻoi a hoʻokikina ʻia e noho kaʻawale a mau loa.

ʻAʻole nō ʻae ʻia nā mea ma lalo o ka 16 makahiki e komo i ka pāka, he hana e hōʻihi ana i nā ʻōhua nona ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana i noho ma ka pāka ma mua. Ma mua o ke kāpae ʻana i ke kānāwai o Hawaiʻi i wailana i ka poʻe nona ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana i Kalaupapa a hala o ka makahiki 1969, ua hoʻokaʻawale ʻia nā keiki paʻa pono o ke ola kino a nā ʻōhua mai ko lākou mau mākuahine ma ka wā i hānau ʻia ai a hoʻonoho ʻia ma nā hale mālama keiki makua ʻole, a i ʻole ia, ma ka mālama ʻia na nā lālā ʻohana ma waho o Kalaupapa.

No nā makahiki pā anahulu, ʻo kahi hoʻokahi e komo ai i ka pāka no nā mea ʻae ʻia ma ke ʻano he ʻōhua mākaʻikaʻi kahi ala hekehi pali kūnihi he 3.5 mile ka lōʻihi nona ka 26 ala ʻoni honua. Ma ke kua hoki i iho ai ka nui o nā mea kipa i ke ala hekehi. Ua hekehi wāwae kekahi poʻe. Ua pani ʻia ia ala hekehi i ka makahiki 2018 ma hope o ka hāneʻe ʻana o ka ʻāina a ma muli o nā pāonioni no ke kuleana o ia pahukū ala hekehi.

Ua kū piha ka hiki i ke ākea ke hele i ia ʻāina i kinohi o Malaki 2020 ma lalo o nā kulekele mālama ola maʻi ahulau Kowiki i hāiki hou aku i nā mea i koi ʻia no ke koena o ka mokuʻāina. No kahi kulekele pāpā piha i nā mea kipa, ʻaʻole i hiki i ka ʻohana a me nā hoa ke kipa i nā ʻōhua nona ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana, a pēlā pū i nā limahana a akeakamai Pāka Aupuni e noho ana ma ka ʻāina noho kaʻawale o Kalaupapa.

Ua mau ia mau lula no ka ʻekolu a ʻoi makahiki. I loko nō naʻe o ke kāpae ʻana o nā ʻelele ola kino mokuʻāina i ia mau lula pūliki o ka wā maʻi ahulau, ua mau ko ka NPS ālai ʻana i ka hiki i ke ākea ke hele i ka wā a ke keʻena e hoʻomohala ana he kiʻina ʻae palapala ʻae no nā mākaʻikaʻi hou.

Ma mua o ka maʻi ahulau, he ʻelua pāʻoihana hoʻokele ʻia na nā ʻōhua i ʻāpono ʻia. Ua pau kekahi o ia mau pāʻoihana, ʻo Kekaula Tours. Na ka ʻōhua ʻo Clarence “Boogie” Kahilihiwa ia pāʻoihana mākaʻikaʻi a i kona hala ʻana i ka piha ʻana o nā makahiki he 79 iā ia i ka makahiki 2021.

Na Watanuki lāua ʻo McBride kekahi pāʻoihana mākaʻikaʻi, ʻo Saints Damien and Marianne Cope Molokai Tours, he mea ʻōhua ʻole [ʻo McBride] i noho ʻo ia ko ka pāʻoihana mea hoʻomākaʻikaʻi a kalaiwa kaʻa ʻōhua.

He ʻehā kānaka e ola nei i paʻa ma ka Papa Helu Kalaupapa, ko ke Keʻena Ola Kino o Hawaiʻi palapala kūhelu o ka poʻe ma nā kaukani i hoʻokaʻawale ʻia i Kalaupapa ma mua o ka hoʻonoa ʻia mai ka wailana ʻia e ke aupuni i ka makahiki 1969. He 85 makahiki o ka ʻōpio loa, a he 102 makahiki o ka mea nona nā makahiki he nui. ʻElua o lāua e noho piha nei ma Kalaupapa a ma Oʻahu e noho nei nā mea ʻē aʻe a ʻelua.

Aia he mau ʻōhua nona ka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ʻohana i helu ʻole ʻia nā inoa ma ka papa helu ma ke noi. Nānā ka mokuʻāina i kēia mau ʻōhua ʻo ia “ka hui kōā.”

ʻAʻole nō mōakāka ka nui o ka poʻe o kēia hui, i ʻōlelo ai ka ʻelele o ke Keʻena Ola Kino ʻo Kristen Wong ma kahi leka uila. ʻAʻole nō makaʻala hāiki ka mokuʻāina i kēia hui, he kākoʻo nō naʻe ma ka wā e noi ʻia ai.