Kalaupapa Memorial Act Approved by U.S. House of Representatives
Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono Introduced Bill in Memory of the Exiled
WASHINGTON, D.C.—
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation introduced by Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono to establish a memorial at the Kalaupapa National Historical Park.
Beginning in 1866, people who suffered from, or were suspected of having, Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy) were forcibly relocated from throughout the Hawaiian islands to Kalaupapa on the island of Moloka‘i. This policy of exiling people to Kalaupapa continued until 1969, even though the disease was treatable by the late 1940s.
Living conditions were extremely harsh at Kalaupapa, leading to much suffering and high mortality.
Congresswoman Hirono introduced the Kalaupapa Memorial Act (H.R. 3332) in 2007, her first year in Congress, to make sure that the names of the approximately 8,000 people who were sent to Kalaupapa will be remembered. More than 75 percent of the exiles were buried in unmarked graves.
“This has been a high priority for me, so I am pleased that the House passed my bill today. I am especially happy for the families of those whose loved ones were exiled to Kalaupapa. I want to thank Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa for advocating the establishment of a memorial. I appreciate the group’s leadership in this cause, and I am very proud to be associated with this effort,” she said.
Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa is a nonprofit organization consisting of patient residents at Kalaupapa National Historical Park and their family members and friends. The group was established in 2003 to promote the value and dignity of the exiles of Kalaupapa and has worked to honor and remember them by establishing a memorial.
Senator Daniel K. Akaka has introduced a companion version of the Kalaupapa Memorial Act and will be working to move this bill through the Senate. Senator Akaka said, “I commend Congresswoman Hirono for her success in moving this bill through the House today. This memorial will enable our nation to honor the people of Kalaupapa as a living American legacy of human spirit and dignity. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, I will continue to work toward Senate passage so the surviving Kalaupapa patients and their family members will live to see this memorial established.”
Video of Congresswoman Hirono delivering her statement in support of a Kalaupapa memorial is posted for viewing and downloading at http://hirono.house.gov/audio_video.shtml
The text of Congresswoman Hirono’s floor statement is posted at http://hirono.house.gov/list/speech/hi02_hirono/kalaupapa.html
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