Hokuloa’s story, another real-life legend The true-life story of Koolau and Piilani, which was later fictionalized by writer Jack London in “Koolau the Leper,” is one of Kaua‘i’s best-known tales. Yet there is another story, practically forgotten nowadays, which is
Hokuloa’s story, another real-life legend
The true-life story of Koolau and Piilani, which was later fictionalized by writer Jack London in “Koolau the Leper,” is one of Kaua‘i’s best-known tales.
Yet there is another story, practically forgotten nowadays, which is similar to Koolau’s and Piilani’s—the story of Hokuloa of Waimea.
On the one hand, Koolau was a paniolo from Kekaha, who in 1892 was stricken with leprosy, also called Hansen’s Disease. He fled to Kalalau Valley to prevent his deportation to the leper settlement on Moloka‘i’s Kalaupapa peninsula. At Kalaupapa, he would have been doomed to spend the remainder of his life cut off from his loved ones and the world beyond the peninsula.
While on the run in Kalalau Valley with his wife, Piilani, and their young son, his skills as an expert marksman and hunter enabled him to survive and fight off government authorities, evading capture until he died three years later.
Similarly, Hokuloa had married and had been an employee of the Kekaha Sugar Company before being afflicted with leprosy in 1929 at age 31.
Faced with being exiled to Kalaupapa, Hokuloa had fled into hiding in Waimea Canyon, taking with him his horse, saddle, rifle and ammunition, and leaving a warning with his family that he would shoot anyone attempting to contact him.
Family and friends dared not approach him, but helped him by leaving food at an agreed upon location.
Then on April 18, 1935, after hiding for over five years, Hokuloa rode into Waimea — weakened, near death and longing to die at home.
He was taken to Waimea Hospital where he died shortly thereafter. He was buried in the Kekaha Cemetery.
