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John Young

It’s hard to tell the story of John Young without including Isaac Davis.
They arrived in Hawai‘i at the same time (on different boats) and they served Kamehameha I as co-advisors.  I’ll try to keep the focus on Young, here (but remember, their roles in Hawai‘i are pretty similar.)
John Young, a boatswain on the British fur trading vessel, Eleanora, was stranded on the Island of Hawai‘i in 1790.  Kamehameha brought Young to Kawaihae, where he was building the massive temple, Pu’ukoholā Heiau.
For the next several years, John Young, and another British sailor, Isaac Davis, went on to assist Kamehameha in his unification of the Hawaiian Islands.
Because of his knowledge of European warfare, Young is said to have trained Kamehameha and his men in the use of muskets and cannons.  In addition, both Young and Davis fought alongside Kamehameha in his many battles.
With these powerful new weapons and associated war strategy, Kamehameha eventually brought all of the Hawaiian Islands under his rule.
Young was instrumental in building fortifications throughout the Islands, which included the conversion of Mailekini Heiau (below Pu‘ukoholā Heiau) into a fort, which he armed with as many as 21 ship cannons.
Because of his common practice of yelling “All Hands!” during battle and training, the Hawaiians came to know Young by the name Olohana, a Hawaiian use of this English phrase.
Young also served as a negotiator for the king, securing various trade and political agreements with many of the foreigners that visited the Islands.
When Captain George Vancouver visited Hawai‘i Island in 1793, he observed that both Young and Davis “are in his [Kamehameha’s] most perfect confidence, attend him in all his excursions of business or pleasure, or expeditions of war or enterprise; and are in the habit of daily experiencing from him the greatest respect, and the highest degree of esteem and regard.”
Of all the lands given to Young (on various islands,) he chose a homestead near Pu‘ukoholā Heiau in Kawaihae to raise his family; he called it Pahukanilua.  He built his houses of basalt, the heavy, dark lava rock readily available near his site.
Young also had coral blocks brought by canoe from the reef at Puako, dried them, and made a plaster of sand and burnt coral mixed with poi and hair.
Kamehameha appointed John Young as Governor of Kamehameha’s home island, Hawai‘i Island, and gave him a seat next to himself in the ruling council of chiefs.
In 1819, Young was one of the few present at the death of Kamehameha I.
He then actively assisted Kamehameha II (Liholiho) in retaining his authority over the various factions that arose at his succession to the throne.
Young was also present for the ending of the kapu system in 1819 and, a few months later, advised the new king to allow the first Protestant missionaries to settle in the Islands
He was married twice.  His descendants were also prominent in Hawaiian history.  The most prominent of his descendants was his granddaughter, Queen Emma.
Besides her most notable accomplishment, the founding of the Queen’s Hospital, which still serves the people of Hawai‘i, she gracefully represented the Kingdom throughout the world, making official visits to the White House and Buckingham Palace.
Both Davis and Young lived out their lives in the Islands. When Davis died in 1810, Young adopted the Davis children.
Finally, in 1835, at the age of 93, John Young, statesman, high chief, friend and advisor to Kamehameha the Great, died at his daughter’s home on O‘ahu.
Although Young had died by the time of the Great Māhele land division, his property was awarded to his wife and children, including the children of Isaac Davis.  His service to Kamehameha was considered to be so great that Young’s heirs did not have to pay commutation for their māhele awards.
John Young and his granddaughter Emma are buried at Mauna ‘Ala (the Royal Mausoleum on O‘ahu,) the final resting place of the high chiefs and royalty of the Kamehameha and Kalākaua dynasties.
The image is of John Young, a colorized drawing initially by Jacques Arago.  I have also added some additional images related to John Young (including his granddaughter Queen Emma and Queen’s Hospital) in a folder of like name in the Photos section of my Facebook page.

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Do Cats Have Nine Lives?

I am not sure, but I know Patches, our cat, has survived a few circumstances that suggest it could be true.
Years ago, on a quick trip into town in the old Trooper, at a stop at the traffic signal in the middle of Waimea, Nelia heard a faint and fearful “meow” coming from outside.
She got out and found Patches cowering on the roof of the car, having traveled al fresco for a couple miles through the neighborhood.
On another occasion, returning from a weekend trip to Volcano, we looked high and low for Patches.
She was nowhere to be found.
At the time, she was an ‘outside’ cat, so we feared she ran away or something worse.
We were relieved to see her scamper out of the storage room in the garage when we put away our Volcano gear.  (She snuck in when we initially packed the truck with our stuff.)
Over the weekend, she somehow managed to pierce a grape soda can and apparently survived on soda and cardboard for the weekend.
Speaking of eating, Patches’ new “adventure” is not eating.
As of today, is has been 17-months that she has not eaten on her own.
Using needleless syringes, we force feed her soft food four to five times a day.
The adventures continue.

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Aka‘ula School, Moloka‘i – A Model In Environmental Education

Education has always been important to me; while I was at DLNR, environmental education was a focus.
Ultimately, the goal was about making sure young people understand the interrelationship of the things around us and the responsibility we share on making sure we do the right thing.
Ultimately, it’s about the future, not what’s in it for any of us, now.
We started meetings with the DOE and looking at opportunities and programs to consider around the state; Aka‘ula School on Moloka‘i kept coming up in peoples’ conversations.
Something good was obviously happening there and we needed to understand what it was and include them in the process.
I called the principal and asked if I could visit the school; I spent the day watching what they were doing and interacting with the kids.
On that visit I was inundated with pointed questions from the student body about invasive plants and animals, endangered species, ballast water, etc.
The students demonstrated a surprising awareness of their surroundings and factors that may impact the quality of life for them, their family and future generations.
It was immediately evident that these students were engaged by the curriculum developed at Aka‘ula and by fields of study in which their “laboratory” was in their back yards and neighborhoods.
The lessons they learned about our fragile and precious resources were obviously strong, clear and lasting.      
Aka‘ula School is a private middle school in Kaunakakai Moloka‘i.  Their school motto is “Learning and Leading Together.”
The school incorporates the concept of PRISM (Providing Resolutions with Integrity for a Sustainable Molokai) it its curriculum.
The PRISM program has a long history on Molokaʻi and has received recognition and awards at local, state, national and international levels as an exemplary environmental education program.
PRISM was started to engage students in learning skills to become effective participants in their community.
To do this, teachers bring students, community resource managers and other leaders together on issues such as solid waste, land use, energy, ecotourism and biodiversity.
Developing these connections and networking with the community has led to increased interest in school by students, parents and community members. 
The ultimate intention of PRISM is to prepare environmentally literate citizens who are willing and able to make informed decisions which promote both the quality of human life and the quality of the environment.
In 2003, National and Molokai-specific research showed that PRISM students improved their critical thinking and problem solving skills and demonstrated the ability to be contributing community members.
Students participating in the program were reported to be more mature, have more poise, self-esteem and leadership ability, and were more autonomous than their peers.
Based on this commitment to education and recognizing there were good models to follow, at DLNR we initiated a legislative bill to expand the number of Charter Schools in the State through the establishment of new environmental education-focused charter schools (at least one per island.)
We suggested the Aka‘ula School was a perfect model for schools with a curriculum based on environmental issues.
Unfortunately, the legislature did not pass the bill.  Hmmm.
Too often, neighbor island initiatives are overlooked and must yield to Honolulu-centric thinking.  It’s too bad, Moloka‘i and Aka‘ula School have a lot to teach the rest of us.

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Hawai‘i Forest Institute

The Hawai`i Forest Institute was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2003 by a diverse group of volunteers who work together to promote awareness of the intrinsic value of Hawai‘i’s forests to the local and international community.
The Institute’s mandate is to improve and internationally promote the health and productivity of Hawai‘i’s forests through:
•        Scientific research in forestry, reforestation, forest species, forest habitats and forest products
•        Educational programs in forestry management practices and forestry related enterprises, and
•        Information dissemination and other charitable scientific and educational endeavors related to forestry
The Institute is guided by a Board that is comprised of individuals who provide knowledgeable and respected contributions in education, industry, science, law, environmental and cultural conservation, organizational governance and academic research.
Present Institute Projects Include:
•        Honolulu Zoo Discovery Forest
•        Honokōhau National Historical Park
•        Kapāpala Canoe Forest
•        Kaloko Makai Dryland Forest Preserve
•        Young-Growth Koa Wood Quality Assessment & Demonstration Project
•        Hui Lā‘au Kama‘āina: Restoration and Education at La‘i‘Ōpua Preserve
•        Ho‘ola Ka Makana‘a at Ka‘ūpūlehu
•        Ka Pilina Poina ’Ole “Connection Not Forgotten”
•        Hawaii Island Native Seed Bank Cooperative
•        Statewide Forestry Forums
•        Pana‘ewa Zoo Discovery Forest
Simply put, the forest is critically important to everyone in Hawai’i.
And, forests are not just about trees.
Virtually all our fresh water comes from the forest, also clean air, recreation areas, habitat for native species, plants for cultural practices and woods for fine arts are among the thousands of forest benefits.
Our forests present endless opportunities for both residents and visitors; Hawaii’s forests offer employment, recreation and resources – including ecological goods and services.
Ecological goods include clean air, and abundant fresh water; while ecological services include purification of air and water, plant and wildlife habitat, maintenance of biodiversity, decomposition of wastes, soil and vegetation generation and renewal, groundwater recharge, greenhouse gas mitigation and aesthetically pleasing landscapes.
Water, wildlife and wood are just a few of the products found in our forests.
We are fortunate that 100-years ago some forward thinkers had the good sense to set aside Hawai‘i’s forested lands and protected our forest watersheds under the State’s forest reserve system.  While I was at DLNR, we oversaw these nearly 1-million acres of mauka lands.
Healthy forests are a goal for all of us in Hawai‘i, it’s as much about fresh water, erosion control, protected reefs and economic opportunities as it is about trees.
Of course, an added benefit is being able to appreciate the outcome after putting some of Hawaiʻi’s native woods in the hands of artisans.
It’s not too late to go to Hawaiʻi’s Woodshow 2012, Na Laʻau o Hawaiʻi at Hawai‘i Academy of Arts – Honolulu Museum of Art School (corner of Beretania and Victoria Street – just mauka of Blaisdell Center parking – now through April 15th.)
I am proud and honored to have been selected and now serve on the Board of Directors of the Hawai‘i Forest Institute.

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Henry Opukahaʻia’s Influence on Missionaries Coming to Hawaiʻi

The history and growth of Christianity in Hawaiʻi include Henry Opukahaʻia, a native Hawaiian from the Island of Hawaiʻi.
In 1809, at the age of 16, after his parents had been killed, he boarded a sailing ship anchored in Kealakekua Bay and sailed to the continent.
On board, he developed a friendship with a Christian sailor who, using the Bible, began teaching Opukahaʻia how to read and write.
Once landed, he traveled throughout New England and continued to learn and study.
Opukahaʻia’s life in New England was greatly influenced by many young men with proven sincerity and religious fervor that were active in the Second Great Awakening and the establishment of the missionary movement.
These men had a major impact on Opukahaʻia’s enlightenment in Christianity and his vision to return to Hawaiʻi as a Christian missionary.
By 1817, a dozen students, six of them Hawaiians, were training at the Foreign Mission School to become missionaries to teach the Christian faith to people around the world.
He improved his English by writing the story of his life in a book called “Memoirs of Henry Obookiah” (the spelling of his name prior to establishment of the formal Hawaiian alphabet, based on its sound.)
Opukahaʻia died suddenly of typhus fever in 1818.  The book about his life was printed and circulated after his death.
Opukahaʻia’s book inspired 14 missionaries to volunteer to carry his message to the Sandwich Islands. 
On October 23, 1819, a group of missionaries from the northeast United States, set sail on the Thaddeus for the Sandwich Islands (now known as Hawai‘i.)
There were seven couples sent by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to convert the Hawaiians to Christianity.
These included two Ordained Preachers, Hiram Bingham and his wife Sybil and Asa Thurston and his wife Lucy; two Teachers, Mr. Samuel Whitney and his wife Mercy and Samuel Ruggles and his wife Mary; a Doctor, Thomas Holman and his wife Lucia; a Printer, Elisha Loomis and his wife Maria; a Farmer, Daniel Chamberlain, his wife and five children.
Along with them were four Hawaiian youths who had been students at the Foreign Mission School, Thomas Hopu, William Kanui, John Honoliʻi and Prince Humehume (son of Kauaiʻi’s King Kaumuali‘i and also known as Prince George Kaumuali‘i.)
After 164 days at sea, on April 4, 1820 (192-years ago, today,) the Thaddeus first arrived and anchored at Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawaiʻi.
Hawai‘i’s “Plymouth Rock” is about where the Kailua pier is today.
The Thurstons remained in Kailua-Kona, while their fellow missionaries went to establish stations on other Hawaiian islands.
Hiram Bingham, the leader of the group, went to Honolulu to set up a mission headquarters; Whitney and Ruggles accompanied Prince Kaumuali‘i on his return to Kaua‘i.  (Hiram is my great-great-great grandfather.)
By the time the missionaries arrived, Kamehameha I had died, Liholiho (his son) was king and the kapu system had been abolished.
I have added a folder of like name in the Photos section of my Facebook page of images from Hiram Bingham’s book, “A Residence of Twenty-one Years in the Sandwich Islands” and other related images.  Several of the illustrations show missionary work across the islands.