Debbie remembered by Nicholas Bellantoni
I will be posting a series of articles focusing on Deborah “Debbie” Lee and her advocacy for ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia.
Deborah Li‘ikapeka Lee passed away in December in her home town of Hilo on the windward side of Hawai‘i Island. Best known to me as Debbie, she influenced my life, my knowledge of Hawaiian ways, and in my knowledge of the life, times, and heritage of ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia – Henry Obookiah. I first met Debbie in August 1993, on the very day the remains of ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia were landed at the wharf at Napo‘opo‘o along Kealakekua Bay in Kona. I along with my friend book editor Scott Tompkins attended the burial service held at the Kahikolu Church mauka of the landing. I had recently posted my obookiah.com website in the early days of online websites, with the full text of the Memoirs of Obookiah available. In 1993 I soon added information about Debbie’s Ka ‘Ohe Ola Hou Inc. – the Bamboo Lives Again foundation. Our connection began that day, flourishing and enduring through great, good, and troubling times for us both.
Below is the first, a tribute from our mutual friend archaeologist Nicholas “Nick” Bellantoni.
Nicholas “Nick” Bellantoni Ph.D., Connecticut State Archaeologist emeritus, has become a good friend over the years during visits to the now empty grave of ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia in Cornwall, Conn. Nick led in disinterring the remains of ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia in 1993 following Debbie’s blessed fulfillment of her wish to return Henry home to Hawai‘i. Nick with utmost care and concern for Henry’s remains placed them in a koa coffin in Hartford to being the return of ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia to Hawai‘i. Debbie Lee and her ‘ohana in Hawai‘i warmly welcomed Nick into their family. Nick’s book The Long Journeys Home: The Repatriations of Henry ‘Opukaha’ia and Albert Afraid of Hawk published in 2018 recounts in detail his encounter with ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia and Debbie during his archaeology work in the Cornwall cemetery.
Deborah “Debbie” Li‘ikapeka Lee’s commitment and loyalty to family heritage have been inspirational to me. We met on a warm July afternoon in 1993 when she and her parents travelled to Connecticut to escort the physical remains of her seventh-generation ancestor, Henry ‘Ōpūkahaʻia back to his homeland on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. As the Connecticut State Archaeologist, we were responsible for the respectful and professional removal of Henry from his 1818 hilltop burial in Cornwall, Connecticut. Acting upon her inspiration that was “so overwhelming, it could not be ignored,” Debbie Lee had committed herself totally toward ‘Ōpūkahaʻia’s repatriation.
From that introduction over 30 years ago, it has been an honor to have been accepted by her as friend and extended family. The power of her feelings and the responsibility of taking on the repatriation is an example to all of us of the importance of spirituality and heritage in our lives.
The commitment of Debbie and her parents, Elizabeth Kapeka Ho‘omanawanui and Kwai Wah Lee, to bringing Henry home are examples of the power and devotion of family defining their heritage against overwhelming odds.
She worked for over a year polling family members gaining their consent to exhume Henry’s remains from Cornwall Cemetery and bring him home to Hawai‘i. At first, there was little enthusiasm, but that soon changed as Debbie’s passion became evident and family and public officials were convinced. She became empowered and strengthened, resolved to give Henry’s life contemporary spiritual meaning by the return of his physical remains, his iwi, to Hawai‘i in fulfillment of his deathbed wish. The repatriation was no small achievement. It seemed that only Debbie could have made it happen.
We extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends. We will miss her passion and energy. But are rejoiced to know she is united with her much-loved Henry ‘Ōpūkahaʻia.