“Working in Our People’s Footsteps”: NPS Employee Trains Future Generation of Stewards at Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Molokai Light in Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

NPS Photo/Rob Ratkowski

NPS Photo

For Joseph Kaiama, working at Kalaupapa National Historical Park is not just a job, it’s a way of preserving his culture and his family history, brick by brick. Kaiama received a 2022 regional Award for Cultural Resources for his work restoring two of the lightkeepers buildings of Molokai Light, all the while passing on his knowledge to his young crew.

Molokai Light served as a gray area, a place where exiled Hansen’s disease patients could steal away for a chance of seeing the outside world. Now, thanks to Kaiama’s leadership and the hard work of his crew, the restored buildings can proudly serve the needs of Kalaupapa’s remaining residents. We sat down with Kaiama to learn about the project and its significance.

---

• Kaiama on preserving the legacy of Kalaupapa

  
  

  Kaiama shares why working at Kalaupapa NHP and preserving its historic buildings is important to him.
  Audio Transcript

  I’m thinking about our future – their future. We wanna protect what we have… you know, this is our people’s footsteps. And also [we] wanna remind the world how they were treated.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park preserves the Hansen’s disease settlement on Molokai, a windswept Hawaiian island in the Pacific Ocean. Historically known as leprosy, Hansen’s disease is a contagious condition that affects the skin and nervous system. The disease was brought to the Hawaiian island by colonizers, along with other diseases the indigenous people had limited resistance to. Until the 1940s, there was no cure.

Hawaiians referred to the disease as ma‘i ho‘oka‘awale, “the separating sickness.” People thought to be infected were banished to live in isolation on the island. From 1866-1969, the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, and later the territory and state of Hawai‘i, exiled approximately 8,000 people here. These individuals were separated from their families and children under the rationale that this would halt the spread of the disease. Patients were stigmatized by the outside world. Ideas about leprosy became intertwined with notions of racial difference that characterized Hawaiians as dirty, backwards and uncivilized, justifying the United State’s efforts to exert political and economic control over the islands.¹ In spite of all this, the resident of Kalaupapa transformed their place of exile into a home and community. Residents fought for dignified treatment of people affected by Hansen’s Disease and asserted their right to maintain control over their own lives.

Map of Kalaupapa NHP. Kalaupapa settlement is downhill, to the left of the Molokai Light, which sits on the point of the peninsula.

NPS Photo/National Historic Landmarks Program

This history runs deep with the employees who work in the park today. Kaiama's aunt was diagnosed with Hansen’s disease as a young girl. She lived in the settlement the rest of her life and is buried there. Kaiama shared that when his father was young, he hiked four miles up and down the steep trail to the settlement. He hid in a closet so he could secretly visit and comfort her.

Molokai Light was a place that existed “outside” the settlement, and thus outside its restricting rules. No one under the age of sixteen was allowed in the settlement. Family members have shared stories with the park about patients driving out to the lighthouse to see children playing, often passing candy through the fence to them.² This brief contact filled a void created by quarantine policies, which mandated that any children born to patients be taken away at birth. In more ways than one, Molokai Light was a beacon of hope for many patients.

---

• Kaiama on historic preservation

  
  

  Kaiama shares the craft involved in historic preservation.
  Audio Transcript

  And for historic preservation, you can’t just tear stuff down. So, the fabric’s important for them, the color – to match. Brushstrokes, it’s all important. And to put stuff back to its original format, meaning the same profiles.

Left image
Windowsill in need of repair
Credit: NPS photo

Right image
Final restored windowsill
Credit: NPS photo

Before and after photos of a repaired windowsill

The lightkeeper’s houses were in disrepair from being vacant for so many years. They were full of rats and termites and damaged from the intense winds and rains that batter the island. Kaiama and his crew face a unique set of challenges when planning for a historic restoration project like this. Large building materials don’t fit on single-engine planes and instead are brought to the island once a year on a barge. Kaiama and the park had one shot to get the building supplies they needed for this project. Additionally, to restore historic buildings to their original look and feel, the crew often needs to make the materials themselves in the park workshop. For example, to get the proper historic trim for a window, they order rough lumber of various sizes then Kaiama and the crew mill down the wood to the appropriate size and shape to fit the building. Despite these challenges, they were able to restore two of the lighthouse keeper’s buildings from the foundations to the roofs in three months.

• Kaiama on training his crew

  
  

  Kaiama shares why he takes the time to pass on his craftsmanship to his younger crew members.
  Audio Transcript

  I’m looking at the long run… At least they have some kind of training. Then they can go anywhere and compete with someone else like regular construction or even another historic preservation training center, or something.

Restored lightkeeper's house

NPS Photo

Before he began work with the National Park Service in 2003, Kaiama did new construction and roof framing. For twenty years, he lived out of a suitcase, chasing work from Molokai to Salt Lake City, Utah and back. Having his first child changed everything. He got a stable job with the NPS’s Historic Preservation Training Center, and over time, has become the resident expert in historic preservation at the park. Now, he is a leader and a mentor to a new generation of stewards. In each of his projects, he takes time to teach his young crew, many of whom are Native Hawaiians with family ties to Kalaupapa. He teaches them about elevation when working on floors, or how to frame a window jam, integrating the lessons into each project. One of his pupils, Pu'uhonua Pescaia reaffirmed in an email, “I learned basically all my carpentry skills from Joe and the rest of the crew. I can confidently say I can build a house thanks to [him].” Another coworker, Joseph Kahee, shared one of Kaiama’s tips: “’With Accuracy Comes Speed.’ I’m not there yet, but with Joe teaching us, we’ll get there.” It is clear from the way his colleagues talk about him that they respect Kaiama’s knowledge and skill. Kaiama laughs when asked if he’s a kupuna – an elder—now. “I’m getting there. I’m white enough,” he smiles and gestures to his hair.

• Kaiama on inspiring the next generation of stewards

  
  

  Kaiama talks about the importance of carrying on the legacy of Kalaupapa into the future.
  Audio Transcript

  I just want to make sure that we know about these people here, the struggle and what we believe in. And I hope that I can continue to inspire my young people and to make sure that down the road, one day, they could be the next FM [Facility Manager], the next leader, and carry on the legacy for generations to come.

The people of Kalaupapa created a strong community that was able to overcome trauma, stigma, and racism. The National Historical Park was established in 1980, jointly managed by the NPS and the Hawai’i State Department of Health. The bill establishing the park guaranteed patients the right to live at Kalaupapa as long as they wished. The mission of the park honors their resilience. Kaiama and his crew continue that tradition daily.

Kaiama, center, and his crew.

NPS Photo

Joseph Kaiama would like to recognize the hard work of his coworkers on this project:

• David Shepherd
• Eddie English
• Edison Makekau
• Joseph Kaheʻe V
• Joseph Mollena
• Lansen Kaupu
• LeAnna Lang
• Makana Kaholoa’a
• Matt Padgett
• Paʻone Lee-Namakaeha
• Pu'uhonua Pescaia
• Rob Pascua-Pelekai
• Cheyne Naeole
• Ka’ohulani

The Regional Awards for Cultural Resources have been announced each spring for 50 years. More information about this and past years’ winners can be found on the National Park Service Website.

---

Citations

¹ National Historic Landmark Nomination, updated documentation, January 12, 2021.
² Personal communication between Kalaupapa NHP Cultural Resource Program Manager and Ka'ohulani McGuire, family member of Kalaupapa resident. Shared with author via email April 2023.