Father Damien: A Bit of Taro, a Piece of Fish, and a Glass of Water

By looking at the 16 years of his life spent at Kalaupapa through the eyes of those who knew him best, this book focuses on Father Damien's relationship with the people of Kalaupapa and also discusses his legacy in the context of current discussions related to leprosy and human rights.

Anwei Skinsnes Law first visited Kalaupapa in 1968 at the age of 16. Over the last 40 years, she has extensively researched the history of leprosy in Hawaii and conducted over 200 hours of oral history interviews with the residents of Kalaupapa. In 1982, she received a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Hawai`i School of Public Health. In 1989, she published ''Kalaupapa: A Portrait'' with photographer Wayne Levin. She is also the author of ''The Great Flood: Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 1889.'' Ms. Law coordinated the Oral History Project of the ILA Global Project on the History of Leprosy, in which interviews were conducted with people from 35 countries, speaking in more than 20 languages. She is currently working on a detailed history of Kalaupapa entitled: ''Ka Hokuwelowelo: A Collective Memory of Kalaupapa'' to be published by The University of Hawai`i Press. She is the International Coordinator of IDEA and a founding member of Ka `Ohana O Kalaupapa. Henry G. Law was an Historical Architect and Park Manager with the U. S. National Park Service for more than 26 years. He has also been a photographer for more than 35 years. He first went to Kalaupapa in 1977 as part of the National Park Service planning team to conduct the new area study for Kalaupapa, prior to it being designated a National Historical Park in 1980. In 1982, he became the first National Park Service employee at Kalaupapa and in 1984 became the first superintendent of Kalaupapa National Historical Park.