Author John R. Kukeākalani Clark will present information from his book, Kalaupapa Place Names, Waiholu to Nihoa, during the Kaiāulu Webinar on Thursday, September 16, 2021 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. To register for the free virtual webinar, simply go to the following link: http://go.hawaii.edu/FZJ.

Clarkʻs research found that the Kalaupapa community was composed of Hawaiians from every island except the uninhabited island of Kaho`olawe. The stories he reviewed portray an active community with its members trying to live as normally as possible in the face of a debilitating disease. Kalaupapa Place Names is more than a book about geographic locations and sites. It is an emotional travelogue with Kalaupapa as a backdrop. Heartrending kanikau composed for loved ones who died vividly express the anguish and loss felt by the departed onesʻ family and friends. Raw emotions, differing opinions, and biases were often expressed through letters to the newspaper editors. Clark adeptly juxtaposed the negative views with the compassion and concern of the royal family, legislative committees, others. and most notably with the pride and perseverance of the Kalaupapa community members.

John R. Kukeākalani Clark is the author of ten books about Hawai’i’s beaches, surf spots, and ocean lore, including North Shore Place Names: Kahuku to Ka’ena, Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the Past, and Guardians of the Sea: Jizo of Hawai‘i. Clark is a former lifeguard and a retired deputy fire chief of the Honolulu Fire Department.

The Kalaupapa Place Names presentation is part of the Kaiāulu Webinar Series, Office of Community and Continuing Education.