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George Helm

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

George Helm Jr.
Born(1950-03-23)March 23, 1950
Hawaiʻi
DisappearedMarch 7, 1977(1977-03-07) (aged 26)
Known forHawaiian activism and music

George Jarrett Helm Jr. (March 23, 1950 – disappeared March 7, 1977)[1] was a Native Hawaiian activist and musician from Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. He graduated from St. Louis High School on Oahu in 1968, where he studied under Hawaiian cultural experts John Keola Lake and Kahauanu Lake. In 1975, he joined the Hui Aloha ʻĀina organization on Molokai and helped form the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana to end the United States Navy's bombing of the island. In 1976, he participated in an occupation of Kahoʻolawe. On March 7, 1977, he disappeared while attempting to leave the island.

Early life

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George Jarrett Helm Jr. was born on March 23, 1950, to George Jarrett Helm Sr. and Melanie Koko Helm. He was the fifth of seven children.[2]

Career

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Helm's activism began with the Molokaʻi-based group Hui Alaloa around 1975. He became involved with the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, a Native Hawaiian-led organization that sought to end the bombing of the island of Kahoʻolawe by the U.S. Navy.[3][4]

In 1976, he joined nine other activists in occupying Kahoʻolawe to protest military target practice there.[5][6][7]

"We were touched by some force that pushed us into commitment." (George Helm, Hawaiʻi Observer, 1976)

He appealed to the Hawaii State Legislature and the U.S. Congress regarding the protection of the island.[8][9] He proved to be a persuasive writer and orator for Kahoʻolawe's protection with contemporaries noting that he was a powerful speaker.[10]However, the bombing continued.[11]

On January 30, 1977, Helm and four other activists[a] landed on Kahoʻolawe with a plan to raise public awareness. However, their presence was met with resistance by the authorities and led to multiple arrests. Most of the group was arrested except for Ritte and Sawyer, who stayed hidden on the island for 35 days, with limited food and water.[11]

Disappearance

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On March 5, 1977, Helm travelled to Kahoʻolawe alongside fisherman and park ranger Kimo Mitchell (son of activist Harry Kunihi Mitchell)[12] and water expert Billy Mitchell[b] to check on fellow activists Walter Ritte and Richard Sawyer. They searched for them by boat and on surfboards.[13]

Unbeknownst to them, Sawyer and Ritte had already been found by the military. After failing to locate Sawyer and Ritte, the three men waited to be picked up by an acquaintance, Sluggo Hahn, but he never came. Hahn's boat would later be found sunk off the Kihei pier with its bilge plugs removed.[13]

The three men attempted to return to Maui on March 7th amidst treacherous weather conditions.[c] They had a long board, a short board, and a pair of fins between them. On the entry to the water, Helm sustained a gash to his head. Once they were in the water, it was obvious that the currents and ocean conditions would prevent them from reaching Maui. At this point, Billy Mitchell took the long board and headed back to Kahoʻolawe to get help.[citation needed]

Facing severe currents, Billy Mitchell returned to the island for assistance while Helm and Kimo Mitchell continued toward Maui.[14]It took Billy Mitchell a good part of the day to reach the shore and walk across the island to notify the Navy of the situation and involve the Coast Guard in a rescue operation. Billy Mitchell was the only survivor of the group. He last saw Helm and Kimo Mitchell near the islet of Molokini.[14]

Legacy

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Helm's activism, speaking, and writing, have come to be seen as playing a central role in shaping the Hawaiian sovereignty and Aloha ʻĀina movement.[15][16][17][18]

The song "Hawaiian Soul" by Jon Osorio and Randy Borden was composed in his honor.[19]

The song Mele O Kahoolawe was written to honor his legacy.[20]

In 2020, filmmaker ‘Āina Paikai released a 19-minute film titled, Hawaiian Soul, about Helm's life.[21][22]

Personal life

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Helm was a falsetto vocalist and was known for playing complex guitar arrangements.[23][10][24] Although his only musical recordings were made with minimal technology in a local bar, they are played regularly on Hawaiian music stations.[10][25] The popular song, "Hawaiian Soul," by Jon Osorio and Randy Borden, was written in his memory.[26][19][27][19][28]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Walter Ritte, Richard Sawyer, Charles Warrington, and Francis Kaʻuhane
  2. ↑ The two were unrelated.
  3. ↑ There were reports of high winds, small-craft warnings, and pounding waves on the shoreline.

Sources

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  1. ↑ McKinley, Ryan (May 22, 2007). "The music of George Helm Jr". Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi. Honolulu, HI, USA: University of Hawaiʻi. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  2. ↑ "40 years after men's disappearance at sea, their vision for Kahoʻolawe has become a reality". Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ Enomoto, Catherine Kekoa (March 19, 1996). "George Helm Jr.'s soulful music helped solidify a movement". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, HI, USA: Oahu Publications Inc., a Subsidiary of Black Press Ltd. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  4. ↑ Conrow, Joan (February 8, 2006). "Rebuilding Kahoʻolawe". Honolulu, HI, USA: Honolulu Weekly. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012. PKO saved the island, but has the group lost its way?
  5. ↑ Lewis, Cheryl (Spring 2001). "ICE Case Study: Kahoʻolawe and the Military". Washington, DC, USA. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Chapter Two: 1920-1929". Star Bulletin Hawaii 50: Five Decades of Photography, A Community Album. Mutual Publishing LLC. 2008. p. 92.
  7. ↑ Closed access iconBlackford, Mansel G. (September 2004). "Environmental Justice, Native Rights, Tourism, and Opposition to Military Control: The Case of Kahoʻolawe". The Journal of American History. 91 (2). Bloomington, IN, USA: Oxford University Press for the Organization of American Historians: 544–571. doi:10.2307/3660711. ISSN 0021-8723. JSTOR 3660711. OCLC 645322308. (subscription required)
  8. ↑ "Kahoʻolawe Catalog | 76.78". November 10, 2010. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Kahoʻolawe Catalog | 77.78". November 10, 2010. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 "The Music of George Helm - A True Hawaiian". OCLC 41616363, 9058443. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  11. 1 2 Ritte, Jr., Walter; Sawyer, Richard (1978). Na Manaʻo Aloha o Kahoʻolawe: Hawaiʻi Warriors Love for Land and Culture. Honolulu, HI, USA: Aloha 'Aina o na Kupuna, Inc. OCLC 8661294.
  12. ↑ Mcgregor, Davianna Pomaika'i; Aluli, Noa Emmett (1992). "Mai Ke Kai Mai Ke Ola, from the Ocean Comes Life: Hawaiian Customs, Uses, and Practices on Kaho'olawe Relating to the Surrounding Ocean". Hawaiian Journal of History. 26. Honolulu, Hawaiian Historical Society. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Momona, ʻĀina (December 2, 2020). "Kimo Mitchell". ainamomona. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  14. 1 2 Morales, Rodney, ed. (January 1, 1984). HoʻiHoʻi Hou, a tribute to George Helm Jr. & Kimo Mitchell. Bamboo Ridge : the Hawaiʻi writers quarterly. Vol. 22. Honolulu, HI, USA: Bamboo Ridge Press. ISBN 9780910043083. OCLC 23139318.
  15. ↑ Osorio, Jonathan. "Sovereignty in Hawaiʻi". Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  16. ↑ TenBruggencate, Jan (March 16, 2008). "Legend of a hero". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, HI, USA: Gannett Company. OCLC 8807414. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  17. ↑ Enomoto, Kekoa Catherine (April 4, 2006). "The Kahoʻolawe Nine 30 Years Later". The Maui News. Wailuku, Maui, HI, USA: Ogden Newspapers. ISSN 8750-457X. OCLC 8807554. Archived from the original on August 10, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  18. ↑ Wood, Paul Devlin (April–May 2006). "The Way Forward". Hana Hou!. Honolulu, HI, USA: Pacific Travelogue Inc. p. 3. OCLC 39445165. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  19. 1 2 3 Osorio, Jon; Borden, Randy (April 13, 2012). "Hawaiian Soul". HUAPALA: Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  20. ↑ Mitchell, Harry Kunihi (April 13, 2012). "Mele O Kahoolawe". Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  21. ↑ Fernandez-Akamine, Puanani (March 30, 2020). "Hawaiian Soul". Ka Wai Ola. Vol. 37, no. 4. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Hawaiian Soul". Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. November 5, 2020. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  23. ↑ Enomoto, Catherine Kekoa (March 11, 1996). "George Helm's soulful music helped solidify a movement". archives.starbulletin.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Honolulu Magazine | The HONOLULU 100 - George Helm Jr. to Eddie Kamae". Honolulu. Honolulu, HI, USA: PacificBasin Communications. November 2005. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  25. ↑ Vance, Kamuela (March 7, 2011). "George Helm – A Hawaiian Legacy". Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  26. ↑ "A Place Called Hawaiʻi". Toronto, Ontario, Canada: DownloadCentric Corporation. 10. Hawaiian Soul. ASIN B000078JK4. OCLC 52612749. Retrieved December 11, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) Audio sample of song.
  27. ↑ "Sovereign Stories: George Helm plays". Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  28. ↑ Burlingame, Burl (September 25, 1999). "George Helm: Man of song died pursuing sovereignty". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, HI, USA: Oahu Publications Inc., a Subsidiary of Black Press Ltd. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
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