Ambrose Hutchison Memoirs
Now Available
Photo (detail) of Father Damien and friends: William T. Brigham; Courtesy of the Congregation of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Picpus), Rome
"Yours Faithfully -- Ambrose Hutchison:
Recollections of a Lifetime at Kalaupapa”
An essential memoir for those interested in the history of Kalaupapa
Ambrose Hutchison among those pictured in the last photograph taken of Father Damien on Feb. 26, 1889, less than two months before Damien died. Ambrose is to the right of Damien, near the top with a house shown behind his head; he’s the hapa-haole man with the facial hair.
"I was taken from my home at Honomaele, Hana, Island of Maui by a squad of native Police headed by the Sheriff of the District and locked in a prison cell like a felon without food and drink and sent to Honolulu. From there a cursory examination by Dr. McKibbin a government physician and I was sent to the (Kalaupapa) Settlement . . . “
These blunt and solemn words begin the remarkable story of Ambrose Kanewalii Hutchison who was separated from his family at the age of 22 and forcibly isolated at Kalaupapa on January 5, 1879 for the rest of his life. After an amazing 53 ½ years at Kalaupapa, he died in 1932 at the age of 76.
Upon Ambrose’s death, a sheaf of handwritten pages were sent to Leuven, Belgium for safekeeping in the Sacred Hearts Archives.
A portion were also preserved in the Hawai‘i State Archives. When the significance of these memoirs was recognized, Kalaupapa history buffs were provided with a never-before-seen account of early life in Kalaupapa.
Now, these unpublished memoirs have become the basis of an impressive book -- “Yours Faithfully -- Ambrose Hutchison: Recollections of a Lifetime at Kalaupapa,” edited by Anwei S. Law, historian and award-winning author of “Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory.”
Anwei noted that Ambrose “left for us the story that no else could tell.” He was Resident Superintendent of Kalaupapa for 10 years and a leader of the community for much of his life. He was close friends with Father Damien, Mother Marianne, Rudolph Meyer, and Queen Kapi’olani -- and led Kalaupapa through a difficult time in history. And, yet....until recent years, Ambrose Hutchison was left out of historical accounts about Kalaupapa.
Anwei went farther than just editing the memoirs. She did additional research that resulted in information about Hutchison not previously known and photographs not often seen. She also identified Ambrose in three of these photos —the first time this has happened. Throughout the process, Law worked closely with Ambrose’s relatives, Mercy Hutchison Bacon and Mercy’s daughter, Monica Bacon.
The 233-page book with numerous historical photos along with modern-day photos was beautifully designed by Henry Law, Anwei's husband and the first Superintendent of Kalaupapa National Historical Park.
Each book costs $50, including shipping and handling. To pre-order, contact info.kalaupapa@gmail.com
“Yours Faithfully — Ambrose Hutchison: Recollections of a Lifetime at Kalaupapa” was published by Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa in association with the IDEA Center for the Voices of Humanity, the Molokai Museum and Cultural Center and the Damiaan Museum in Belgium. Initial support for the book came from the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities and the Damiaan Museum.
Each book costs $50, including shipping and handling to US addresses; for international shipping, please add $25. To pre-order, contact info.kalaupapa@gmail.com