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Henry Opukahaia

April 10, 2024

Henry ʻŌpūkahaʻia (c. 1792 – 1818) was one of the first Native Hawaiians to become a Christian, inspiring American Protestant missionaries to come to the islands during the 19th century. He is credited with starting Hawaii's conversion to Christianity. His name was usually spelled Obookiah during his lifetime. His name Henry is sometimes Hawaiianized as Heneri.

Henry ʻŌpūkahaʻia
Bornc. 1793
Nīnole, Hawaii
DiedFebruary 17, 1818
Cornwall, Connecticut
Burial placeNapoʻopoʻo
Parent(s)Keau and Kamohoula
Signature

Biography edit

ʻŌpūkahaʻia was born at Ka`ū on the island of Hawai`i in 1792. When he was 10, his family was murdered by the warriors of Kamehameha I during the rebellion of Nāmakehā.[1][2] The 1866 Hawaiian biography by Reverend S. W. Papaula would state that ʻŌpūkahaʻia was born in 1787 instead.[3]

In 1807, when Captain Caleb Britnall took him aboard the Triumph, the teenage boy had his first English lessons en route to New Haven, Connecticut, along with fellow Hawaiian cabin boy Thomas Hopu. As a student in the New Haven area, he was looked after in a succession of homes, and worked summers to help earn his keep. The future Reverend Edwin W. Dwight, a senior in Yale College at the time, met him in 1809 when he discovered`Ōpūkaha`ia sitting on the steps of the college. When `Ōpūkaha`ia lamented that "No one give me learning," Dwight agreed to help him find tutoring.[4] `Ōpūkaha`ia took up residence with one of Dwight's relatives, Yale president Timothy Dwight IV, a founder of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, who instructed him in Christian and secular subjects.[4] He had studied English grammar and the usual curriculum in public schools by the time he converted to Christianity in 1815, during the Second Great Awakening.[5]

He and other Polynesians and Native Americans requested training to spread the Gospel back home. This inspired the founding of the Foreign Mission School in 1816, administered from Boston by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). It had broad support from the residents of Cornwall, Connecticut, where it moved in 1817, and from donors elsewhere in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. During its ten years, about 100 students attended: "43 Native Americans, 13 Americans (white), and 20 Hawaiians, and other natives of the Pacific. including 2 Chinese".[6]

Even before this school opened, Edwin Dwight wrote in 1818, `Ōpūkaha`ia had begun "'reducing to system his own native tongue. As it was not a written language, but lay in its chaotic state, every thing was to be done…he had made some progress towards completing a Grammar, a Dictionary, and a Spelling-book.'"[7] However, these books no longer exist. Samuel B. Ruggles, one of the First Company of missionaries to Hawaii and a fellow student of `Ōpūkaha`ia at Cornwall, mentions in an 1819 letter that his own grammar was "much assisted by one which `Ōpūkaha`ia attempted to form." Elisha Loomis, who was to be the printer for the first mission, was inspired to join it by reading `Ōpūkaha`ia's memoirs, edited by Dwight in the year of his death from typhus fever, over a year before the First Company set sail from Boston.

`Ōpūkaha`ia planned to return to Hawaii himself to preach, but contracted typhus fever and died in 1818 in Cornwall at the age of 26.

In 1826 the Foreign Mission School was closed by a scandal – two interracial marriages were too much for Cornwall residents. But both the school and `Ōpūkaha`ia were a catalyst for the Sandwich Island Mission and for the first concentrated efforts to analyze the language.

Re-interment edit

In 1993, some descendants of `Ōpūkaha`ia's family decided to return his body from his grave in Connecticut to Hawaii.[8] On Aug. 15, 1993, his remains were laid in a vault facing the sea at Kahikolu Church near the town of Napoʻopoʻo, Kona, on the Island of Hawaii. It was the third church established in Hawaii by missionaries inspired by Opukahaʻia. Hawaii's churches observe the third Sunday in February as a day of commemoration in honor of its first Christian. A plaque at the Cornwall gravesite reads: "In July of 1993, the family of Henry Opukahaia took him home to Hawaii for interment at Kahikolu Congregational Church Cemetery, Napo'opo'o, Kona, Island of Hawaii. Henry's family expresses gratitude, appreciation, and love to all who cared for and loved him throughout the past years. Ahahui O Opukahaia"

Works edit

Besides translating the Book of Genesis into Hawaiian, `Ōpūkaha`ia nearly completed a Hawaiian dictionary, grammar, and spelling book. The Memoirs of Henry Obookiah were published in New York City in 1818 and have been republished by the Woman's Board of Missions for the Pacific Islands several times since the 1960s. They have recently republished the 195-year-old book with a new epilogue of how his body was returned to the Big Island of Hawaii, along with new photographs.[9]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Bartlett, Samuel Colcord (1872). Sketches of the Missions of the American Board. Boston: American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. p. 38. Retrieved 29 April 2015. In a civil war, his father and mother had been slain before his eyes; and when he fled with his infant brother on his back, the child was killed with a spear, he was then taken and raised by the very person who slaughtered his family.
  2. ^ Wilson 2009, pp. 49–51.
  3. ^ Morris & Benedetto 2019, p. 234.
  4. ^ a b Schiff, Judith Ann (July 2004). "Aloha Blue". Yale Alumni Magazine. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  5. ^ Schütz, Albert J. (1994). The Voices of Eden: A History of Hawaiian Language Studies. Honolulu: Hawaii UP. p. 95n8. The First Great Awakening [mid-18th century]…produced a conflict, often intense, between conservative Protestants—Old Lights—and the revivalistic reformers – New Lights.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Sydney K. 1939. Phases of the History of Cornwall. (Torrington, CT: Cornwall Historical Society 1981). Cited in Schütz, p.87.
  7. ^ Dwight, Edwin Wells. 1818. Memoirs of Henry Obookiah…; who died at Cornwall, Connecticut, February 17, 1818. Cited in Schütz p.88.
  8. ^ Renner, Gerald (16 July 1993). "A Final Resting Place For Henry Opukahala". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Home". henryobookiahmemoirs.com.

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Opukahaia.
  • This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1900). "Obookiah, Henry" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
  • Forbes, David W.; Kam, Ralph Thomas; Woods, Thomas A. (2018). Partners in Change: A Biographical Encyclopedia of American Protestant Missionaries in Hawaiʻi and Their Hawaiian and Tahitian Colleagues, 1820–1900. Honolulu: Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site & Archives. ISBN 978-0-692-18267-3. OCLC 1088735785.
  • Morris, Nancy J.; Benedetto, Robert (2019). Nā Kahu: Portraits of Native Hawaiian Pastors at Home and Abroad, 1820–1900. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-7777-4. OCLC 1098290393.
  • Wilson, Rob (2009). Be Always Converting, be Always Converted: An American Poetics. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-03343-6.

Further reading edit

  • Bellantoni, Nick (2018). The Long Journeys Home: The Repatriations of Henry 'Opukaha'ia and Albert Afraid of Hawk. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-7685-9. OCLC 1027737102.

Lyons, J. K. (2004). Memoirs of Henry Obookiah: A Rhetorical History. Hawaiian Journal of History, 38, 35-57.

April 10, 2024
henry, opukahaia, henry, ʻŌpūkahaʻia, 1792, 1818, first, native, hawaiians, become, christian, inspiring, american, protestant, missionaries, come, islands, during, 19th, century, credited, with, starting, hawaii, conversion, christianity, name, usually, spell. Henry ʻŌpukahaʻia c 1792 1818 was one of the first Native Hawaiians to become a Christian inspiring American Protestant missionaries to come to the islands during the 19th century He is credited with starting Hawaii s conversion to Christianity His name was usually spelled Obookiah during his lifetime His name Henry is sometimes Hawaiianized as Heneri Henry ʻŌpukahaʻiaBornc 1793Ninole HawaiiDiedFebruary 17 1818Cornwall ConnecticutBurial placeNapoʻopoʻoParent s Keau and KamohoulaSignature Contents 1 Biography 2 Re interment 3 Works 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further readingBiography editʻŌpukahaʻia was born at Ka u on the island of Hawai i in 1792 When he was 10 his family was murdered by the warriors of Kamehameha I during the rebellion of Namakeha 1 2 The 1866 Hawaiian biography by Reverend S W Papaula would state that ʻŌpukahaʻia was born in 1787 instead 3 In 1807 when Captain Caleb Britnall took him aboard the Triumph the teenage boy had his first English lessons en route to New Haven Connecticut along with fellow Hawaiian cabin boy Thomas Hopu As a student in the New Haven area he was looked after in a succession of homes and worked summers to help earn his keep The future Reverend Edwin W Dwight a senior in Yale College at the time met him in 1809 when he discovered Ōpukaha ia sitting on the steps of the college When Ōpukaha ia lamented that No one give me learning Dwight agreed to help him find tutoring 4 Ōpukaha ia took up residence with one of Dwight s relatives Yale president Timothy Dwight IV a founder of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions who instructed him in Christian and secular subjects 4 He had studied English grammar and the usual curriculum in public schools by the time he converted to Christianity in 1815 during the Second Great Awakening 5 He and other Polynesians and Native Americans requested training to spread the Gospel back home This inspired the founding of the Foreign Mission School in 1816 administered from Boston by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions ABCFM It had broad support from the residents of Cornwall Connecticut where it moved in 1817 and from donors elsewhere in Connecticut Massachusetts and New York During its ten years about 100 students attended 43 Native Americans 13 Americans white and 20 Hawaiians and other natives of the Pacific including 2 Chinese 6 Even before this school opened Edwin Dwight wrote in 1818 Ōpukaha ia had begun reducing to system his own native tongue As it was not a written language but lay in its chaotic state every thing was to be done he had made some progress towards completing a Grammar a Dictionary and a Spelling book 7 However these books no longer exist Samuel B Ruggles one of the First Company of missionaries to Hawaii and a fellow student of Ōpukaha ia at Cornwall mentions in an 1819 letter that his own grammar was much assisted by one which Ōpukaha ia attempted to form Elisha Loomis who was to be the printer for the first mission was inspired to join it by reading Ōpukaha ia s memoirs edited by Dwight in the year of his death from typhus fever over a year before the First Company set sail from Boston Ōpukaha ia planned to return to Hawaii himself to preach but contracted typhus fever and died in 1818 in Cornwall at the age of 26 In 1826 the Foreign Mission School was closed by a scandal two interracial marriages were too much for Cornwall residents But both the school and Ōpukaha ia were a catalyst for the Sandwich Island Mission and for the first concentrated efforts to analyze the language Re interment editIn 1993 some descendants of Ōpukaha ia s family decided to return his body from his grave in Connecticut to Hawaii 8 On Aug 15 1993 his remains were laid in a vault facing the sea at Kahikolu Church near the town of Napoʻopoʻo Kona on the Island of Hawaii It was the third church established in Hawaii by missionaries inspired by Opukahaʻia Hawaii s churches observe the third Sunday in February as a day of commemoration in honor of its first Christian A plaque at the Cornwall gravesite reads In July of 1993 the family of Henry Opukahaia took him home to Hawaii for interment at Kahikolu Congregational Church Cemetery Napo opo o Kona Island of Hawaii Henry s family expresses gratitude appreciation and love to all who cared for and loved him throughout the past years Ahahui O Opukahaia Works editBesides translating the Book of Genesis into Hawaiian Ōpukaha ia nearly completed a Hawaiian dictionary grammar and spelling book The Memoirs of Henry Obookiah were published in New York City in 1818 and have been republished by the Woman s Board of Missions for the Pacific Islands several times since the 1960s They have recently republished the 195 year old book with a new epilogue of how his body was returned to the Big Island of Hawaii along with new photographs 9 Notes edit Bartlett Samuel Colcord 1872 Sketches of the Missions of the American Board Boston American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions p 38 Retrieved 29 April 2015 In a civil war his father and mother had been slain before his eyes and when he fled with his infant brother on his back the child was killed with a spear he was then taken and raised by the very person who slaughtered his family Wilson 2009 pp 49 51 Morris amp Benedetto 2019 p 234 a b Schiff Judith Ann July 2004 Aloha Blue Yale Alumni Magazine Retrieved 29 April 2015 Schutz Albert J 1994 The Voices of Eden A History of Hawaiian Language Studies Honolulu Hawaii UP p 95n8 The First Great Awakening mid 18th century produced a conflict often intense between conservative Protestants Old Lights and the revivalistic reformers New Lights Mitchell Sydney K 1939 Phases of the History of Cornwall Torrington CT Cornwall Historical Society 1981 Cited in Schutz p 87 Dwight Edwin Wells 1818 Memoirs of Henry Obookiah who died at Cornwall Connecticut February 17 1818 Cited in Schutz p 88 Renner Gerald 16 July 1993 A Final Resting Place For Henry Opukahala Hartford Courant Retrieved 29 April 2015 Home henryobookiahmemoirs com References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Opukahaia This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Wilson J G Fiske J eds 1900 Obookiah Henry Appletons Cyclopaedia of American Biography New York D Appleton Forbes David W Kam Ralph Thomas Woods Thomas A 2018 Partners in Change A Biographical Encyclopedia of American Protestant Missionaries in Hawaiʻi and Their Hawaiian and Tahitian Colleagues 1820 1900 Honolulu Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site amp Archives ISBN 978 0 692 18267 3 OCLC 1088735785 Morris Nancy J Benedetto Robert 2019 Na Kahu Portraits of Native Hawaiian Pastors at Home and Abroad 1820 1900 Honolulu University of Hawaii Press ISBN 978 0 8248 7777 4 OCLC 1098290393 Wilson Rob 2009 Be Always Converting be Always Converted An American Poetics Cambridge Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 03343 6 Further reading editBellantoni Nick 2018 The Long Journeys Home The Repatriations of Henry Opukaha ia and Albert Afraid of Hawk Middletown CT Wesleyan University Press ISBN 978 0 8195 7685 9 OCLC 1027737102 Lyons J K 2004 Memoirs of Henry Obookiah A Rhetorical History Hawaiian Journal of History 38 35 57 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry Opukahaia amp oldid 1216386284, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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