By Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. Inouye): 

   I rise today to submit legislation that provides for the establishment of a memorial within Kalaupapa National Historical Park, in the State of Hawaii, to honor and perpetuate the memory of those Hansen's disease patients who were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa Peninsula from 1866 to 1969.

   This tragedy began in 1865 when the Kingdom of Hawai`i instituted a century-long policy of forced segregation of those afflicted with Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy. Land was set aside in order to seclude those who were thought to be capable of spreading the disease. Kalaupapa was chosen due to its' isolated and inaccessible location. To the south, Kalaupapa faces sheer cliffs with over 2,000 feet in height. To the east, north, and west, Kalaupapa is surrounded by an often-temperamental ocean.

   During this period of time, over 8,000 people were sent there, of which, only about 1,300 graves have been identified. Most of those who were sent to Kalaupapa before 1900 have no marked graves. Others were buried in places marked with a cross or a bare tombstone, but those markers have seen great deterioration over time. As a result, there are many family members and descendants of these residents who cannot find the graves of their loved ones and are unable to properly honor and pay tribute to them.

   This monument is to provide closure and a sense of belonging to these many family members, who have no knowledge of their ancestors' whereabouts. Through this monument, the more than 8,000 Hansen's disease patients will forever be memorialized as having been a part of the history of Kalaupapa. It also allows the world to recognize and learn from the tragedy that took place on Kalaupapa, where mothers were taken from their children, husbands from their wives, and children from their parents.

   There are a few remaining patients of Kalaupapa alive today, and time is running short. For them to live to see this monument, and the memory of their friends and those that preceded them honored in this manner, would mean so much. It will help to guarantee that the legacy of Kalaupapa will live on, and continue to be passed from one generation to the next.