Peter T Young

November 19, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Collaboration

Definition of collaborate – “to work jointly with others or together …” (Merriam-Webster)

The recent Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives project “Letters from the Ali‘i,” more than 225 letters written by 42 different ali‘i between 1820-1907, helps illustrate the collaboration between the missionaries and the ali‘i.

These letters have been digitized, transcribed, translated and annotated by interns under the direction of Dr. Puakea Nogelmeier, Executive Director of the Awaiaulu Foundation.

Jon Yasuda was one of the intern translators who participated in the translation project. He received his Master’s Degree in Hawaiian Language from UH Mānoa. He currently teaches Hawaiian Language at Punahou School.

In a November 4, 2016 interview on ‘Ōlelo’s ‘First Friday’, interviewer Manu Ka‘iama noted that “the nice thing about these letters is it kind of is a portal” that illustrate the feeling at the time and “you have some proof of that”.

She asked what Yasuda found interesting in the letters; he noted:

“I think one thing that is interesting is that it really shows the way that the missionaries and a lot of the chiefs at the time needed to work together. They worked together, and through their letters we can see the ways … that they helped each other. And I think that both sides had things to share with each other that were beneficial to both sides.”

“I think that one thing that is commonly believed is that the missionaries really came in and started barking orders, and saying this is how it’s going to be … and you are going to do this and you are not going to do that and this is how you need to be. But what we are really seeing is that it wasn’t quite like that.”

“There were very few missionaries in comparison to how many Hawaiians there were at the time. And so, the letters really show us the way that the missionaries and Hawaiians worked together and how some of the things the missionaries brought, for example, sewing and some business, and trade were attractive to the Hawaiians at the time. And, they really had to work together for a lot.” (Jon Yasuda)

Manu Ka‘iama then noted:

“I think I hear what you are saying, and it is an important point to make and to remember is that their mission was very different, that first generation of missionaries. Their mission or their reason to be here, and the assistance that they provided the ali‘i goes without saying. I guess these letters probably pretty much show that.”

“You can see the relationship and you can see how they worked together and that they learned from each other. And, I would assume that is so and I think we are hard on the missionaries because of maybe the next generation of missionaries …”

“We do, many times, kind of just brush over that earlier history, and we shouldn’t make that mistake, because the fact that these letters show a relationship that you think is honorable….” (Manu Ka‘iama)

Jon Yasuda then added,

“I think literacy was … almost like the new technology of the time. And, that was something that was new. … When the missionaries came, there was already contact with the Western world for many years…. But this was the first time that literacy really began to take hold. The missionaries, when they came, they may have been the first group who came with a [united] purpose. They came together as a group and their purpose was to spread the Gospel the teachings of the Bible. …”

“But the missionaries who came, came with a united purpose … and literacy was a big part of that. Literacy was important to them because literacy was what was going to get the Hawaiians to understand the word of the Bible … and the written word became very attractive to the people, and there was a great desire to learn the written word. … Hawai‘i became the most literate nation at one time.” (Jon Yasuda)

Click HERE for a link to comments by Jon Yasuda.

Puakea Nogelmeier had a similar conclusion. In remarks at a Hawaiian Mission Houses function he noted,

“The missionary effort is more successful in Hawai‘i than probably anywhere in the world, in the impact that it has on the character and the form of a nation. And so, that history is incredible; but history gets so blurry …”

“The missionary success cover decades and decades becomes sort of this huge force where people feel like the missionaries got off the boat barking orders … where they just kind of came in and took over. They got off the boat and said ‘stop dancing,’ ‘put on clothes,’ don’t sleep around.’”

“And it’s so not the case ….”

“The missionaries arrived here, and they’re a really remarkable bunch of people. They are scholars, they have got a dignity that goes with religious enterprise that the Hawaiians recognized immediately. …”

“The Hawaiians had been playing with the rest of the world for forty-years by the time the missionaries came here. The missionaries are not the first to the buffet and most people had messed up the food already.”

“(T)hey end up staying and the impact is immediate. They are the first outside group that doesn’t want to take advantage of you, one way or the other, get ahold of their goods, their food, or your daughter. … But, they couldn’t get literacy. It was intangible, they wanted to learn to read and write”. (Puakea Nogelmeier)

Click HERE for a link to comments by Puakea Nogelmeier.

The Hawaiian frustration with the early foreigners and support for the missionaries is illustrated in comments from a couple chiefs of that time, Kaumuali‘i (King of Kauai) and Kalanimōku (chief councilor and prime minister to Kamehameha I, Kamehameha II and Kamehameha III.)

Missionary Samuel Ruggles notes in in his Journal entry on May 8, 1820, “The inhabitants treated me with all the attention and hospitality which their limited circumstances would afford; and even carried their generosity to excess …”

On May 10, 1820, Ruggles notes, “This afternoon the king (Kaumuali‘i) sent to me and requested that I would come and read to him in his bible. I read the first chapter of Genesis and explained to him what I read as well as I could.”

“He listened with strict attention, frequently asking pertinent questions, and said I can’t understand it all; I want to know it; you must learn my language fast, and then tell me all. No white man before ever read to me and talk like you.”

An 1826 letter written by Kalanimōku to Hiram Bingham (written at a time when missionaries were being criticized) states, “Greetings Mr Bingham. Here is my message to all of you, our missionary teachers.”

“I am telling you that I have not seen your wrong doing. If I had seen you to be wrong, I would tell you all. No, you must all be good. Give us literacy and we will teach it. And, give us the word of God and we will heed it … for we have learned the word of God.”

“Then foreigners come, doing damage to our land. Foreigners of America and Britain. But don’t be angry, for we are to blame for you being faulted. And it is not you foreigners, (it’s) the other foreigners.”

“Here’s my message according to the words of Jehovah, I have given my heart to God and my body and my spirit. I have devoted myself to the church and Jesus Christ.”

“Have a look at this letter of mine, Mr Bingham and company. And if you see it and wish to send my message on to America to (your President,) that is up to you. Greetings to the chief of America. Regards to you all, Kalanimōku.”

Click HERE to view/download Background Information on the Ali‘i Letters

(This includes links to the letters and discussions about them.)

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A_Missionary_Preaching_to_Hawaiians_on_the_lava_at_Kokukano,_Hawaii,_sketch_by_William_Ellis-1822-24

November 18, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Have Nots, Can Nots and Will Nots

A hundred years ago, “The need of a home for small children was emphasized yesterday as never before. Early in the day Sheriff Iaukea was notified that there were four youngsters down in the John block in Kaka‘ako who had no one to look out for them.”

“Investigation showed that the father had gone to San Francisco several months ago and had not been heard from. The mother, who has had a struggle to make both ends meet, is now in the hospital seriously ill.”

“Since Saturday these little ones have been alone and their condition was pitiable when the police took them to the station-house.”

“The Sheriff then made enquiries about the town, trying to find a place where they could be taken in. The Salvation Army Home was crowded, but after a consultation with the matron it was decided that the home would take them temporarily.”

“The eldest child, Manuel Delgado, a bright boy of ten years, had done his little best to take care of Puration, a girl of six; little Censio, aged four, and the wee little baby, Anita, aged seventeen months …”

“… but he looked very much relieved when the motherly matron of the Salvation Army Home gathered them all in and started for the home in a carriage.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, May 26, 1908)

Today, at all levels of government, homelessness (houselessness) remains an issue.

I have been fortunate to work in the private sector for most of my career, but I also worked in senior administrative positions in County and State government (and worked closely with our federal partners).

When I worked with the County, a homeless service provider helped me better understand the homeless situation.

She noted there are generally three types of homeless – the Have Nots, the Can Nots and the Will Nots.

She didn’t mean these references to be derogatory descriptors, rather a way to better understand the diversity and complexity of the problem.

The people without the financial means (Have Nots) or with some kind of disability (mental or physical) (Can Nots) are generally the ones who eventually seek and benefit from services provided by the many service providers across the State.

Regrettably, it is the Will Nots, those that can but don’t seek help, that sometimes get the limelight and many times shed a bad light on the rest.

Some refuse to enter a shelter because they aren’t willing to follow the rules, have alcohol/drug dependency or simply would rather live on the beach.

An unfortunate stigma is cast over all, because of the actions of a few.

Another component of homelessness are the Hidden Homeless (the ones, night by night, that are staying at someone else’s house – rotating between others, sleeping on a couch with family or friends).

Likewise, there are many At Risk families, who have limited savings (no more than 3-months savings), where some kind of event (loss of job, accident, illness, etc) could put them on the streets.

When we read about the ‘Homeless’, or related statistics, we tend to hear more about the Will Nots; the latter two, Hidden Homeless and At Risk, are typically not included in the statistics.

I believe the real homeless numbers are significantly higher than present County and State administrations are willing to admit, or report.

As an example, when I was Deputy Managing Director of Hawai‘i County, the estimate was that 700- people were homeless – however, the estimated Hidden Homeless was 10,000 and 24,300-people were considered At Risk.

When speaking of the homeless, I believe we need to be more open and honest with ourselves and others.

Hawai‘i has many in need. I appreciate the good work of the many homeless service providers; they are an important and special group of folks.

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Homeless Shelter

November 17, 2017 by Peter T Young 6 Comments

Flagpole

Actually, this is a about a family that ended up in Kailua. We’ll get to the ‘flagpole’ portion of their adventures at the end of the summary. This is about Lloyd and Joanie Osborne; they married in 1938.

Lloyd was born in Newtonville, Massachusetts, on March 14, 1909; he graduated from Phillips-Exeter Academy and Yale University, where he was captain of the swimming team.

He led an all-star US swimming team on a Pacific and Japan tour in 1931, but passed up 1932 Olympic tryouts in order to enlist as a Naval Aviator, after earning his mechanical engineering degree.

Joan (Joanie) Dowsett Osborne, born July 26, 1916, was the daughter of Herbert and Laura Dowsett; she was a descendant of Gerrit Parmele Judd, a missionary physician in the Third Company of American Protestant missionaries to the Islands. Judd later resigned from the mission and became an advisor and translator to King Kamehameha III.

Joanie was a member of the Punahou School class of 1933, attended the Schools at Dobbs Ferry in Westchester, NY and Tufts University of Occupational Therapy.

Although Joanie was a swimmer from an early age, marriage and childrearing interrupted her swimming until her mid-fifties. It was as senior swimmers that inspired Joanie to join competitive swimming with Lloyd in the Masters Swim events.

In 1984, at the age of 75, Lloyd set two national records, the 200-meter butterfly in 4:51:77 and the 200-meter individual medley in 4:01:34. He has numerous other accolades in swimming (from the 1970s to 1990s.) His last, in 1992, was 1st Place in 400 freestyle (8:08:40;) he was 82.

He swam competitively, he told a reporter in 1985, because he wanted to stay healthy enough to make one particular financial transaction: “I’d like to write a check dated Jan. 2, 2000.” (He made it.)

During 14 years of competition, Joanie was listed in the US Masters National Top Ten Times in 174 events: ranking first in 53 events; second in 29; third in 20; and fourth in 22. She has held 28 pool event USMS National Records, one Long Distance National Record and four Master’s Age Group World Records.

Back to Lloyd’s aviation experience … After earning his wings in 1933 at Pensacola, Florida, Lloyd piloted landings and take offs from the world’s first aircraft carrier, the US Langley, a converted Navy oiler.

Following a stint in the engineering design department at Martin Aircraft, he joined Pan American Airways as a pilot, flying throughout the Caribbean and South America; one of his passengers was President Franklin D Roosevelt.

His WWII duty included command of an air control unit during amphibious operations at Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima, for which he earned two combat Bronze Star medals. He later served on the staff of Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet.

After WWII, a unique type of air service called ‘flight seeing’ came into being. On April 2, 1946, Osborne started Hawaiian Air Transport Service Ltd, “a deluxe charter and tour service.”

It provided non-scheduled service to all Territorial airports and provided special tourist sight-seeing flights to the Neighbor Islands, and charter services as required. (hawaii-gov)

After operating for about 4-years, Hans Mueller took over the certificate and expanded that operation into Hawaiian Air Tour Service (HATS,) a full-fledged flight-seeing operation. (Allen)

The accomplishment that Joanie is most proud of is not her swimming, but the role she played in establishing Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park in Kona. Joanie lived in Kailua-Kona in the 1950s. During this period, she served on the Governor’s commission to save historical sites. Through her efforts, and others, the park was eventually created.

On August 13, 1959, over a thousand people gathered near the Sears’ end for the grand opening of Ala Moana Center. Lloyd Osborne was there, he was the center’s first general manager.

OK, the flagpole …

The Osbornes had a house on Kailua Beach. Most folks who surf or walk the beach will recall a flagpole standing proud and tall near the edge of the beach. The surf spot “Flagpoles” is right off shore.

That was the home of Lloyd and Joanie Osborne and their family. On July 4, 1969, to honor both his nation and his state, and to salute other states and countries he had visited, Lloyd put up the 30-foot flagpole himself.

Lloyd died April 19, 2001 at the age of 92; Joanie, his wife of 63 years, died July 20, 2014, missing her 98th birthday by six days. (Lots of information here is from Advertiser, Star-Advertiser and Punahou.)

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Osborne_Flagpole-listsothebyrealty

Lloyd Osborne-Adv

USS Langley (CV 1)-1st Aircraft Carrier

Hawaiian Air Tour Service-planes

Long one-quarter front left side aerial view from above of two Hawaiian Air Tour Service (HATS) Cessna T-50 “Bamboo Bombers” in flight over Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1955. In the foreground is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, with the Waikiki Theater behind; at far right is the Matson Moana Hotel. Believed to be the cover of a Hawaiian Air Tour Service (HATS) brochure.

Aimakapa_Pond_(NPS)

Kaloko-Honokohau_National_Park-(NPS)-Map

Ala Moana-1960

November 16, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Auna

Auna was trained to the priesthood by his father, a Raiatean chief, and that as a youth he became a well-known priest, warrior and member of the Arioi Society. Like many others from the Leeward Islands he joined Pomare’s forces during the latter’s exile on Moorea, fighting in the Tahitian campaigns of 1812 and at the battle of Feipi in 1815.

After Pomare’s successful reconquest of Tahiti Auna, by now a professing Christian, returned to Moorea and attended the school at Papetoai. In 1818 he accompanied the European missionaries to Huahine, the first mission station to be established in the Leewards; baptized a year later, he became one of the first four deacons of the Huahine church.

During the visit of the Rev. Daniel Tyerman and George Bennet, the deputation sent by the London Missionary Society to visit the missions in the Pacific and elsewhere, to Huahine in 1822 it was decided to send Auna and another deacon Matatore, with their wives, to preach the gospel to the Marquesans. (Maude)

Then, “the Tahitian missionary Auna … came to Hawaii with a visiting English delegation of missionaries in 1822.” (Barrere & Sahlins)

“As (Ellis) landed here with his little band of Tahitians, the wife of Auna met with her brother who is attached to the chiefs, – Jack, or Moa, of the Ship Bounty, Capt. Bligh) & who gladly introduced her and her husband to Kaahumanu, & procured for them a lodging at her house.”

“Finding them interesting and agreeable, an on acquaintance of three weeks becoming attracted to them, she & Taumuare, gave them a pressing invitation to remain here. Nor is Auna less desirous to stay but wishes that his beloved pastor Mr. (Ellis) may remain also.”

“The invitation, seconded by the other principal chiefs is extended to Mr. E. and his family — so that on the part of the government the way is perfectly open for his entrance here.” (Journal of the Sandwich Island Mission, May 9, 1822)

The American Mission saw benefit in working with Ellis and The Tahitians … “of bringing the influence of the Tahitian mission to bear with more direct and operative force upon this nation; trembling under the too great responsibility of the spiritual concerns of the whole nation, & looking with hesitating awe at the great and difficult work of translating the bible & continually casting about for help …”

“… we feel the need of just such talents and services as Brother (Ellis) is able to bring to the work, whose general views of Christian faith practice, & of missionary duty, which accord so well with ours, whose thorough acquaintance with the Tahitian tongue so nearly allied to this …”

“… & which it cost the mission almost a 20 years’ labor fully to acquire, & whose missionary experience, among the South Sea Islands’ kindred tribes, enable him to cooperate with us, with mutual satisfaction, and greatly to facilitate our acquisition of this kindred language …”

“… & the early translation of the sacred scriptures, & thus promote the usefulness, rather than supersede the labors, of all who may come to our aid from America.” (Journal of the Sandwich Island Mission, May 9, 1822)

“Auna is a chief from the Society Islands, of a tall commanding figure, placid & benignant countenance, intelligent, sober, discreet, & humbly devoted to the cause of missions; prays in his family & in the family of Kaahumanu, keeps a journal neatly written in his native language, & carefully takes & preserves sketches of the sermons he hears.”

“He was with Pomare in the battle at Tahiti in the last struggle to exterminate Christianity, witnessed the triumphs of the Lord of hosts, & the downfall & destruction of the ‘foolish Idols that Tahiti worshipped.’”

“His wife is in some respects like him as to the degree of civilization to which she has advanced -She is short, but rather above the midling stature of American females.” (Journal of the Sandwich Island Mission, May 11, 1822)

“It is a pleasure to hear this happy Christian pair converse, or sing together the songs of Zion in their native tongue, but it is pretty to see then how unitedly devoted to the work of converting this nation to Christianity.” (Journal of the Sandwich Island Mission, May 11, 1822)

“Auna, a Tahitian Raatira, who, as a teacher, had been designated to the Marquesas, was, with his wife, Auna wahine, hospitably received at Honolulu by Kaumuali‘i and Kaahumanu, and even invited to remain.”

“Auna was regarded as pious and exemplary. He was of a tall, commanding figure, placid and benignant countenance; sober, discreet, and courteous; and soon capable of imparting rudimental instruction, and making known the Christian doctrine.”

“He gave important testimony respecting the course of events at the Society and Georgian Islands. He had been with Pomare in a battle at Tahiti, in the last struggles of the heathen party there to keep off or exterminate Christianity, when the king and the Christian party, standing on the defensive …”

“… and calling on the name of the Lord of Hosts, proved triumphantly successful in resisting and repelling their attacks and maintaining his ascendency.”

“Having witnessed the success of the Gospel among those of his countrymen who had received it, and the downfall of the foolish gods that Tahiti worshipped, and having, with many others, shouted the triumphs of Jehovah there …”

“… he was now willing to devote himself, for a time, to the business of acquainting the Hawaiians with what he knew, so far as he could make their language available. For this purpose he and his wife, who was a help-meet, tarried a year before they returned home.” (Bingham)

“Auna, the Tahitian chief, led the exercises of the afternoon, before embarking on board the Waverley to return to the Society Islands, on account of the health of his wife. He is a noble example of the power of the Gospel on the heart and character of a pagan.”

“His wife is a very handsome woman; and in her general appearance and manners remarkably like one of the most polished females I ever saw.” (Stewart)

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Sketch of Auna’s house in Honolulu

November 15, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Huilua Fishpond

Aquacultural fishpond technology allowed the ancient Hawaiians to move beyond mere harvesting of fish and other marine products (i.e. crustaceans, shellfish, and seaweed) to intensive fish production and husbandry.

Reportedly, a total of 449 ponds that were constructed prior to A.D. 1830, most during the prehistoric period. They were built on all the major islands.

Broad shallow reef flats or natural embayments provided an environment where ponds could be constructed easily in sweeping semicircular arcs out from the shoreline.

Along the shoreline were ponds with (kuapa, or pa) and sluice gates (mākāhā). The distinctive feature of the kuapa ponds was the sluice gates.

The mākāhā was stationary with no moveable parts. This was the technological innovation, probably an adaptation from an earlier form used in irrigation agriculture (taro), that enabled the Hawaiians to progress from tide-dependent fishtraps to artificial fishponds which could be controlled at all times of the tide.

Ponds varied in form, construction, methods of operation, and in the species of fish raised. Ponds or loko, were divided into two major categories: shore and inland ponds.

Huilua Fishpond at Kahana Valley in Koʻolauloa on the Island of Oʻahu has been traditionally classified as a loko kuapa pond. It was a working fishpond (with modifications) until the late-1960s.

Huilua Fishpond is one of only six remaining fishponds out of an estimated ninety-seven such structures that once existed on
coastal Oahu and one of the few ancient Hawaiian fishponds that were still operational well into this century.

It is also one of only ten ponds left in the Hawaiian Islands which have not been denuded of their archeological sites during the course of historic coastal development. A large majority of ponds throughout the Islands have also been destroyed by natural agencies such as tsunamis (tidal waves) and sea storms.

Huilua is a shallow, brackish water enclosure of approximately 4 ½-acres that is roughly shaped as a right triangle with the right angle of the base forming the northwest or seaward corner of the pond.

The base or western wall abuts and partially deflects the effluent from the Kahana estuary as it discharges into Kahana Bay. This wall, approximately 500 feet in length.

At the extreme south end of the western wall are located two parallel mākāhā or sluice gates. The makai gate is longer by approximately 10 feet than the mauka gates.

Huilua Pond has been an important element in the long-term habitation of Kahana Valley and is expressive of that habitation. It was an important part of the valley’s cooperative subsistence economy from the late 19th Century until the late-1960s.

At that latter time, the konohiki fishing rights for Kahana Bay were condemned and acquired by the State of Hawaiʻʻi to allow public access to the bay.

Huilua Pond became a part of Kahana Valley Cultural Park, a ‘living park’ concept developed by the Hawaii Department of Lands and Natural Resources whereby approximately 150 persons, many of whom grew up there, reside in the Park.

The ancient Hawaiians believed that walled fishponds of the loko kuapa type were inhabited by moʻo (water spirits) who were also akua (gods) and kiaʻi (guardians) and relied upon them to protect the ponds in order to assure an abundance of fish.

Ritual pollution included the violation of kapu (taboos, i.e., women could not fish nor be involved in the work of the pond), neglect of ritual obligations associated with the pond, poaching, and so on.

Informants on the Kahana Valley oral history project related: ‘Huilua Fishpond has a moʻo that lives in a deep hole at the northwest corner of the fishpond where the western wall meets the northern.’

When the moʻo leaves the pond and then later returns ‘there are always dried leaves floating on the top of the water to indicate its presence’.

Oral history informants from Kahana Valley also related that their elders and grandparents propitiated the traditional fish god Kuʻula, otherwise the fish might disappear from the pond.

While the koʻa was not used within living memory, they reported that a fish stone (pohaku kuʻula) required prayers and proper care in order to keep the fish in the pond. The location of the sacred stone is not clear. (Lots of information from NPS and DLNR.)

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