Haleakala launches website to honor key women

[Aug. 29, 2020: The Maui News]

Haleakala National Park is highlighting the stories of important women with connections to Haleakala to mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.

The park has launched a new website that features women such as Ethel Baldwin, who played a crucial role in establishing the Kula Sanatorium; Mary Evanson, who worked to protect Haleakala’s wildlife from invasive species; Rose Freitas, a rodeo champion who served as an unofficial backcountry ranger; and Nan Cabatbat, a former park employee who educated staff and visitors on Hawaiian culture.

“Women of Haleakala have been pioneers who shape the land and the community alike through creativity, conservation and courage,” said Jacob Hakim, the 19th Amendment intern for Haleakala National Park. “From Pele, the goddess of fire, who formed the Hawaiian Islands in the mo’olelo (Hawaiian legends), to the conservationists, ranchers and park employees of Haleakala, women have had a prominent role in the history of this Maui mountain.”

The 19th Amendment prohibits the federal government from denying any citizen the right to vote on the basis of sex. Women of Hawaii also gained this right when the amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution in August 1920.

To learn about “Na Wahine o Haleakala,” visit www.nps.gov/hale/learn/historyculture/women.htm.

This Brighter Side of News post courtesy of The Maui News at www.mauinews.com.

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