By Ana Kahoopii and Tanya Yamanaka
nko Hank sits at an empty picnic table near the King Kamehameha statue on Hilo’s bayfront, the sun shining on this Valentine’s Day morn. The gold bodice of Kamehameha glitters behind him; the King’s outstretched arms seemingly mimic the feeling Hank beckons to us: Come! Come and listen. Hawai‘i was a territory of the United States when Hanalei “Hank” Fergerstrom was born in 1949, near the birthplace of Kamehameha at North Kohala Hospital. His mother, Charmine, and father, Harry, divorced after his younger brother Samuel was born. His mother remarried twice, moving to California and O‘ahu. Raised in a military atmosphere, Hank was sent from Pearl Harbor military base to Hawai‘i Island at age 12 to have his father “straighten him out.” Hank’s first court
The many faces of Hank Fergerstrom. photos courtesy of Tanya Yamanaka
appearance was when he was only 11 years old. He and his brothers had gotten in trouble on a military base, playing in an off-limits warehouse. The judge interrogated the boys to ensure they knew what they had done wrong. His mother had instructed them to answer respectfully and apologize. Still, when the judge came to him, Hank responded that he had a deal to deliver newspapers in exchange for the rights to play in the Pearl Harbor warehouse. Even then, Hank’s penchant for truth was a guiding force that led to more punishment, sometimes more severe than if he had said nothing at all. Law of the Splintered Paddle Hank’s early years didn’t break his spirit; they emboldened him. His many years in and out of the justice system gave him legal experience and know-how that couldn’t be learned through books or school. During those years, Hank’s guiding principle was Māmalahoe Kānāwai (The Law of the Splintered Paddle). The law was enacted in 1797 before Kamehameha unified the Hawaiian Islands and remains the law today, as Article 9, Section 10 of the Hawai‘i State Constitution. Māmalahoe Kānāwai protects the vulnerable during times of conflict. This would apply to his personal life, as well as being a single parent of a disabled
