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| known_for = Hawaiian activism and music
| known_for = Hawaiian activism and music
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'''George Jarrett Helm Jr.''' (March 23, 1950 - disappeared March 7, 1977)<ref name="McKinley">{{cite journal |last=McKinley |first=Ryan |date=May 22, 2007 |title=The music of George Helm Jr. |url=http://www.kaleo.org/the-music-of-george-helm/article_2a76b6a1-73ab-51d9-9d20-9e85dd529c43.html |url-status=live |journal=[[Ka Leo O Hawaii]] |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |publisher=[[University of Hawaii Board of Publications]] |access-date=December 8, 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616231101/http://www.kaleo.org/the-music-of-george-helm/article_2a76b6a1-73ab-51d9-9d20-9e85dd529c43.html |archivedate=June 16, 2022 |df=mdy}}</ref> was a [[Native Hawaiian]] [[activist]] and [[musician]] from [https://www.cityofkalama.com/ Kalama], [[Molokai]], [[Hawaii]]. He graduated from [[Saint Louis School|St. Louis High School]] on Oahu in 1968. While at St. Louis, he studied under Hawaiian cultural experts John Keola Lake and Kahauanu Lake. In 1975, he joined the [[Hui Aloha ʻĀina]] organization on [[Molokai]], and participated in the formation of the Protecting Kaho'olawe'auhana organization to end the U.S. Navy's bombing of the island. In 1976, he and nine activists occupied the island. On March 7, 1977, he left for Kaho'olawe and his whereabouts are unknown.
'''George Jarrett Helm Jr.''' (March 23, 1950 - disappeared March 7, 1977)<ref name="McKinley">{{cite journal |last=McKinley |first=Ryan |date=May 22, 2007 |title=The music of George Helm Jr. |url=http://www.kaleo.org/the-music-of-george-helm/article_2a76b6a1-73ab-51d9-9d20-9e85dd529c43.html |url-status=live |journal=[[Ka Leo O Hawaii]] |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |publisher=[[University of Hawaii Board of Publications]] |access-date=December 8, 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616231101/http://www.kaleo.org/the-music-of-george-helm/article_2a76b6a1-73ab-51d9-9d20-9e85dd529c43.html |archivedate=June 16, 2022 |df=mdy}}</ref> was a [[Native Hawaiian]] [[activist]] and [[musician]] from [https://www.cityofkalama.com/ Kalama], [[Molokai]], [[Hawaii]]. He graduated from [[Saint Louis School|St. Louis High School]] on Oahu in 1968. While at St. Louis, he studied under Hawaiian cultural experts John Keola Lake and Kahauanu Lake. In 1975, he joined the [[Hui Aloha ʻĀina]] organization on [[Molokai]], and participated in the formation of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana organization to end the U.S. Navy's bombing of the island. In 1976, he and nine activists occupied the island. On March 7, 1977, he left for Kahoʻolawe and his whereabouts are unknown.


==Early life and musical career==
==Early life and musical career==
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==Activism==
==Activism==
[[File:GeorgeHelm.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]
[[File:GeorgeHelm.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]
Helm began his front-line activism in the [[Molokai|Moloka{{okina}}i]]-based group Hui Alaloa around 1975, and became deeply involved in [[Protect Kahoolawe Ohana|Protect Kaho{{okina}}olawe {{okina}}Ohana]],<ref name="Catherine Kekoa">{{cite news |url= http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/03/19/features/story1.html |title=George Helm Jr.'s soulful music helped solidify a movement |first=Catherine Kekoa |last=Enomoto |newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |publisher=Oahu Publications Inc., a Subsidiary of [[Black Press]] Ltd. |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |date=March 19, 1996 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}</ref> a Hawaiian-led organization that sought to end the [[bombing]] of the island of [[Kahoolawe|Kaho{{okina}}olawe]] by the U.S. Navy. In 1976, nine activists occupied the island of Kaho{{okina}}olawe and Helm was one of them. He was moved intensely by the power and beauty of the island, and dedicated the rest of his life to fighting for its protection{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}.
Helm began his front-line activism in the [[Molokai|Moloka{{okina}}i]]-based group Hui Alaloa around 1975, and became deeply involved in [[Protect Kahoolawe Ohana|Protect Kaho{{okina}}olawe {{okina}}Ohana]],<ref name="Catherine Kekoa">{{cite news |url= http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/03/19/features/story1.html |title=George Helm Jr.'s soulful music helped solidify a movement |first=Catherine Kekoa |last=Enomoto |newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |publisher=Oahu Publications Inc., a Subsidiary of [[Black Press]] Ltd. |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |date=March 19, 1996 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}</ref> a Hawaiian-led organization that sought to end the [[bombing]] of the island of [[Kahoolawe|Kaho{{okina}}olawe]] by the U.S. Navy. In 1976, nine activists occupied the island of Kaho{{okina}}olawe and Helm was one of them. He was moved intensely by the power and beauty of the island, and dedicated the rest of his life to fighting for its protection.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}


Helm, stating "We were touched by some force that pushed us into commitment." (''Hawaii Observer'', 1976), appealed to the Hawaii State legislature<ref name="House Resolution #493">{{cite web |url= http://www.ilind.net/gallery_old/kahoolawe1976/source/reso1.htm |title=kahoolawe catalog &#124; 76.78 |date=November 10, 2010 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}} {{cite web |url= http://www.ilind.net/gallery_old/kahoolawe1976/source/reso2.htm |title=kahoolawe catalog &#124; 77.78 |date=November 10, 2010 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}} Pages 1 & 2 of House Resolution # 493, House of Representatives, Eighth Legislature, 1976, State of Hawaii</ref> and to the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]], where he proved to be a persuasive writer and orator for Kaho{{okina}}olawe's protection. However, the bombing continued. More Kaho{{okina}}olawe landings by protesters ensued, and on January 30, 1977, five [[activist]]s (Helm, Walter Ritte, Richard Sawyer, Charles Warrington, and Francis Ka{{okina}}uhane) landed on Kaho{{okina}}olawe in an attempt to gain greater public recognition of the struggle. Everyone was arrested except for Ritte and Sawyer{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}, who stayed hidden on the island for 35&nbsp;days, with limited food and water.<ref name="Na Mana'o Aloha o Kaho'olawe">{{cite book |title=Na Mana'o Aloha o Kaho'olawe: Hawai'i Warriors Love for Land and Culture |first1=Walter |last1=Ritte, Jr. |first2=Richard |last2=Sawyer |year=1978 |publisher=Aloha 'Aina o na Kupuna, Inc |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |oclc=8661294 |asin=B0006Y07P8}}</ref>
Helm, stating "We were touched by some force that pushed us into commitment." (''Hawaii Observer'', 1976), appealed to the Hawaii State legislature<ref name="House Resolution #493">{{cite web |url= http://www.ilind.net/gallery_old/kahoolawe1976/source/reso1.htm |title=kahoolawe catalog &#124; 76.78 |date=November 10, 2010 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}} {{cite web |url= http://www.ilind.net/gallery_old/kahoolawe1976/source/reso2.htm |title=kahoolawe catalog &#124; 77.78 |date=November 10, 2010 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}} Pages 1 & 2 of House Resolution # 493, House of Representatives, Eighth Legislature, 1976, State of Hawaii</ref> and to the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]], where he proved to be a persuasive writer and orator for Kaho{{okina}}olawe's protection. However, the bombing continued. More Kaho{{okina}}olawe landings by protesters ensued, and on January 30, 1977, five [[activist]]s (Helm, Walter Ritte, Richard Sawyer, Charles Warrington, and Francis Ka{{okina}}uhane) landed on Kaho{{okina}}olawe in an attempt to gain greater public recognition of the struggle. Everyone was arrested except for Ritte and Sawyer,{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} who stayed hidden on the island for 35&nbsp;days, with limited food and water.<ref name="Na Manaʻo Aloha o Kahoʻolawe">{{cite book |title=Na Manaʻo Aloha o Kahoʻolawe: Hawaiʻi Warriors Love for Land and Culture |first1=Walter |last1=Ritte, Jr. |first2=Richard |last2=Sawyer |year=1978 |publisher=Aloha 'Aina o na Kupuna, Inc |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |oclc=8661294 |asin=B0006Y07P8}}</ref>


==Disappearance==
==Disappearance==
Concerned for Walter Ritte and Richard Sawyer, George Helm set out — first by boat, then by surfboard — to Kaho{{okina}}olawe, with fisherman and park ranger Kimo Mitchell and water expert Billy Mitchell (unrelated) on March 5, 1977. They reached the island, but 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 Sluggo Hahn, but he never came. Hahn's boat would later be found sunk off the pier in Kihei with its bilge plugs removed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Momona |first=ʻĀina |date=2020-12-02 |title=Kimo Mitchell |url=https://www.kaainamomona.org/post/kimo-mitchell |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=ainamomona |language=en}}</ref> On March 7, the three decided to return to Maui. They had a long board, a short board, and a pair of fins between them. The weather was treacherous with high winds, small craft warnings, and pounding waves on the shoreline. 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 were going to prevent them from reaching Maui. At this point, Billy Mitchell took the long board and headed back to Kaho'olawe to get help. It took him a good part of the day to reach the shore and walk across the island to notify the Navy of the situation and to get the Coast Guard involved in a rescue operation. Helm and Kimo Mitchell were last seen near the islet of [[Molokini]] by Billy Mitchell, who was the only survivor of the group.<ref name="Morales">{{cite book |title=HoʻiHoʻi Hou, a tribute to George Helm Jr. & Kimo Mitchell |editor-last=Morales |editor-first=Rodney |editor-link=Rodney Morales |series=[[Bamboo Ridge|Bamboo Ridge : the Hawaii writers quarterly]] |volume=22 |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |publisher=Bamboo Ridge Press |isbn=9780910043083 |oclc=23139318 |date=January 1, 1984}}</ref>
Concerned for Walter Ritte and Richard Sawyer, George Helm set out — first by boat, then by surfboard — to Kaho{{okina}}olawe, with fisherman and park ranger Kimo Mitchell and water expert Billy Mitchell (unrelated) on March 5, 1977. They reached the island, but 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 Sluggo Hahn, but he never came. Hahn's boat would later be found sunk off the pier in Kihei with its bilge plugs removed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Momona |first=ʻĀina |date=2020-12-02 |title=Kimo Mitchell |url=https://www.kaainamomona.org/post/kimo-mitchell |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=ainamomona |language=en}}</ref> On March 7, the three decided to return to Maui. They had a long board, a short board, and a pair of fins between them. The weather was treacherous with high winds, small craft warnings, and pounding waves on the shoreline. 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 were going to prevent them from reaching Maui. At this point, Billy Mitchell took the long board and headed back to Kahoʻolawe to get help. It took him a good part of the day to reach the shore and walk across the island to notify the Navy of the situation and to get the Coast Guard involved in a rescue operation. Helm and Kimo Mitchell were last seen near the islet of [[Molokini]] by Billy Mitchell, who was the only survivor of the group.<ref name="Morales">{{cite book |title=HoʻiHoʻi Hou, a tribute to George Helm Jr. & Kimo Mitchell |editor-last=Morales |editor-first=Rodney |editor-link=Rodney Morales |series=[[Bamboo Ridge|Bamboo Ridge : the Hawaii writers quarterly]] |volume=22 |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |publisher=Bamboo Ridge Press |isbn=9780910043083 |oclc=23139318 |date=January 1, 1984}}</ref>


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
Today, George Helm Jr. is hailed as one of the [[Aloha ʻĀina]] movement's greatest heroes; among young activists, he is as legendary as the great [[Eddie Aikau]] is to young surfers.<ref name="TenBruggencate">{{Cite web |title=Legend of a hero |date=2008-03-16 |first=Jan |last=TenBruggencate |work=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]] |accessdate=December 14, 2012 |url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Mar/16/ln/hawaii803160362.html |publisher=[[Gannett Company]] |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |oclc=8807414}}</ref> Although his only musical recordings were made with minimal technology in a local [[bar (establishment)|bar]], they are played regularly on Hawaiian music stations<!-- Unclear reference -->.<ref name="hawaiianmusic.net"/> Generations later, George Helm's music is still inspirational to many, both because it is considered to be some of the finest examples of Hawaiian falsetto ever created, and because it embodies a powerful expression of the Hawaiian soul.<ref name="Vance">{{Cite web|url=https://kingdomofhawaii.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/george-helm-a-hawaiian-legacy-by-kamuela-vance/|title=George Helm – A Hawaiian Legacy|last=Vance|first=Kamuela|date=2011-03-07|work=Kingdom of Hawaii|accessdate=December 14, 2012}}</ref> The popular song, "Hawaiian Soul," by [[Jonathan Kamakawiwo'ole Osorio|Jon Osorio]] and Randy Borden, was written in his memory.<ref name="Cord International">{{Cite web|title=A Place Called Hawaii |at=10. Hawaiian Soul |accessdate=December 11, 2012 |url=http://cordinternational.downloadcentric.net/app?page=Product&service=external&sp=SD06036E80FLLUBPMCQSK0 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130221162714/http://cordinternational.downloadcentric.net/app?page=Product&service=external&sp=SD06036E80FLLUBPMCQSK0 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 21, 2013 |oclc=52612749 |asin=B000078JK4 |publisher=DownloadCentric Corporation |location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada }} Audio sample of song.</ref><ref name="Hawaiian Soul">{{cite web|url=http://www.huapala.org/Hawaii/Hawaiian_Soul.html|title=Hawaiian Soul|last2=Borden|first2=Randy|date=April 13, 2012|first1=Jon|last1=Osorio|work=HUAPALA: Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives|accessdate=December 8, 2012}} Written in honor of George Helm</ref>
Today, George Helm Jr. is hailed as one of the [[Aloha ʻĀina]] movement's greatest heroes; among young activists, he is as legendary as the great [[Eddie Aikau]] is to young surfers.<ref name="TenBruggencate">{{Cite web |title=Legend of a hero |date=2008-03-16 |first=Jan |last=TenBruggencate |work=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]] |accessdate=December 14, 2012 |url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Mar/16/ln/hawaii803160362.html |publisher=[[Gannett Company]] |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |oclc=8807414}}</ref> Although his only musical recordings were made with minimal technology in a local [[bar (establishment)|bar]], they are played regularly on Hawaiian music stations<!-- Unclear reference -->.<ref name="hawaiianmusic.net"/> Generations later, George Helm's music is still inspirational to many, both because it is considered to be some of the finest examples of Hawaiian falsetto ever created, and because it embodies a powerful expression of the Hawaiian soul.<ref name="Vance">{{Cite web|url=https://kingdomofhawaii.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/george-helm-a-hawaiian-legacy-by-kamuela-vance/|title=George Helm – A Hawaiian Legacy|last=Vance|first=Kamuela|date=2011-03-07|work=Kingdom of Hawaii|accessdate=December 14, 2012}}</ref> The popular song, "Hawaiian Soul," by [[Jonathan Kamakawiwoʻole Osorio|Jon Osorio]] and Randy Borden, was written in his memory.<ref name="Cord International">{{Cite web|title=A Place Called Hawaii |at=10. Hawaiian Soul |accessdate=December 11, 2012 |url=http://cordinternational.downloadcentric.net/app?page=Product&service=external&sp=SD06036E80FLLUBPMCQSK0 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130221162714/http://cordinternational.downloadcentric.net/app?page=Product&service=external&sp=SD06036E80FLLUBPMCQSK0 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 21, 2013 |oclc=52612749 |asin=B000078JK4 |publisher=DownloadCentric Corporation |location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada }} Audio sample of song.</ref><ref name="Hawaiian Soul">{{cite web|url=http://www.huapala.org/Hawaii/Hawaiian_Soul.html|title=Hawaiian Soul|last2=Borden|first2=Randy|date=April 13, 2012|first1=Jon|last1=Osorio|work=HUAPALA: Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives|accessdate=December 8, 2012}} Written in honor of George Helm</ref>


In 2020, filmmaker ‘Āina Paikai released a 19-minute film, ''Hawaiian Soul'', about Helm's life.<ref name="Fernandez-Akamine 2020">{{cite news |first=Puanani |last=Fernandez-Akamine |date=March 30, 2020 |title=Hawaiian Soul |website=Ka Wai Ola |volume=37 |number=4 |url=https://kawaiola.news/cover/hawaiian-soul/ |access-date=2020-12-09}}</ref><ref name="Type 2020">{{cite web |title=Hawaiian Soul |website=Hawaiʻi International Film Festival |date=2020-11-05 |url=https://fp.hiff.org/films/detail/hawaiian_soul_2020 |access-date=2020-12-09}}</ref>
In 2020, filmmaker ‘Āina Paikai released a 19-minute film, ''Hawaiian Soul'', about Helm's life.<ref name="Fernandez-Akamine 2020">{{cite news |first=Puanani |last=Fernandez-Akamine |date=March 30, 2020 |title=Hawaiian Soul |website=Ka Wai Ola |volume=37 |number=4 |url=https://kawaiola.news/cover/hawaiian-soul/ |access-date=2020-12-09}}</ref><ref name="Type 2020">{{cite web |title=Hawaiian Soul |website=Hawaiʻi International Film Festival |date=2020-11-05 |url=https://fp.hiff.org/films/detail/hawaiian_soul_2020 |access-date=2020-12-09}}</ref>


==Quotes==
==Quotes==
"We are in a revolution of consciousness .... What we (are) looking for is the truth."<ref name="Akaka bill">{{cite web |url= http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Feb/22/op/op08a.html/?print=on |title=Commentary: Akaka bill doesn't right wrongs done to Hawaiians |work=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]] |publisher=[[Gannett Company]] |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |first1=Kunani |last1=Nihipali |first2=Ho'oipo Kalaena'auao |last2=Pa |first3=Pu'uhonua "Bumpy" |last3=Kanahele |date=February 22, 2004 |oclc=8807414 |accessdate=December 13, 2012}}</ref>
"We are in a revolution of consciousness .... What we (are) looking for is the truth."<ref name="Akaka bill">{{cite web |url= http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Feb/22/op/op08a.html/?print=on |title=Commentary: Akaka bill doesn't right wrongs done to Hawaiians |work=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]] |publisher=[[Gannett Company]] |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |first1=Kunani |last1=Nihipali |first2=Hoʻoipo Kalaenaʻauao |last2=Pa |first3=Puʻuhonua "Bumpy" |last3=Kanahele |date=February 22, 2004 |oclc=8807414 |accessdate=December 13, 2012}}</ref>


"There is man and there is environment. One does not supersede the other. The breath in man is the breath of Papa. Man is merely the caretaker of the land that maintains his life and nourishes his soul. Therefore, the [[Aloha Aina|{{okina}}āina]] is sacred. The church of life is not in a building, it is the open sky, the surrounding ocean, the beautiful soil...."<ref name="E pule kâkou">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026172425/http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/6794/3-stfrancis.html |archivedate=October 26, 2009 |url=http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/6794/3-stfrancis.html |title=E pule kâkou. - Let us pray. Nâ Pule Hawai'i - Hawaiian Prayers |accessdate=December 13, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
"There is man and there is environment. One does not supersede the other. The breath in man is the breath of Papa. Man is merely the caretaker of the land that maintains his life and nourishes his soul. Therefore, the [[Aloha Aina|{{okina}}āina]] is sacred. The church of life is not in a building, it is the open sky, the surrounding ocean, the beautiful soil...."<ref name="E pule kâkou">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026172425/http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/6794/3-stfrancis.html |archivedate=October 26, 2009 |url=http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/6794/3-stfrancis.html |title=E pule kâkou. - Let us pray. Nâ Pule Hawaiʻi - Hawaiian Prayers |accessdate=December 13, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
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*{{cite news |url= http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/09/25/news/story7.html |title=George Helm: Man of song died pursuing sovereignty |first=Burl |last=Burlingame |newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |publisher=Oahu Publications Inc., a Subsidiary of [[Black Press]] Ltd. |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |date=September 25, 1999 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite news |url= http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/09/25/news/story7.html |title=George Helm: Man of song died pursuing sovereignty |first=Burl |last=Burlingame |newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |publisher=Oahu Publications Inc., a Subsidiary of [[Black Press]] Ltd. |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |date=September 25, 1999 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.sovereignstories.org/sovereignty/sovereigntyp.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081104145816/http://www.sovereignstories.org/sovereignty/sovereigntyp.htm |archivedate=November 4, 2008 |title=Sovereignty in Hawaiʻi |first=Jonathan |last=Osorio |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.sovereignstories.org/sovereignty/sovereigntyp.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081104145816/http://www.sovereignstories.org/sovereignty/sovereigntyp.htm |archivedate=November 4, 2008 |title=Sovereignty in Hawaiʻi |first=Jonathan |last=Osorio |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite web|url=http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2006/02/rebuilding-kahoolawe-2/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204152125/http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2006/02/rebuilding-kahoolawe-2/ |archivedate=February 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |title=Rebuilding Kaho'olawe |first=Joan |last=Conrow |publisher=[[Honolulu Weekly]] |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |date=February 8, 2006 |quote=PKO saved the island, but has the group lost its way? |accessdate=December 8, 2012 |df=mdy }}
*{{cite web|url=http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2006/02/rebuilding-kahoolawe-2/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204152125/http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2006/02/rebuilding-kahoolawe-2/ |archivedate=February 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |title=Rebuilding Kahoʻolawe |first=Joan |last=Conrow |publisher=[[Honolulu Weekly]] |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |date=February 8, 2006 |quote=PKO saved the island, but has the group lost its way? |accessdate=December 8, 2012 |df=mdy }}
*{{cite web |url=http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/hawaiibombs.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926195736/http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/hawaiibombs.htm |archivedate=September 26, 2010 |date=Spring 2001 |title=ICE Case Study: Kaho'olawe and the Military |first=Cheryl |last=Lewis |publisher= |location=Washington, DC, USA |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/hawaiibombs.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926195736/http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/hawaiibombs.htm |archivedate=September 26, 2010 |date=Spring 2001 |title=ICE Case Study: Kahoʻolawe and the Military |first=Cheryl |last=Lewis |publisher= |location=Washington, DC, USA |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{Closed access}} {{cite journal |title=Environmental Justice, Native Rights, Tourism, and Opposition to Military Control: The Case of Kaho'olawe |first=Mansel G. |last=Blackford |journal=[[The Journal of American History]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] for the [[Organization of American Historians]] |location=Bloomington, IN, USA |date=September 2004 |volume=91 |issue=2 |pages=544–571 |doi=10.2307/3660711 |oclc=645322308 |issn=0021-8723 |jstor=3660711}} {{Subscription required}}
*{{Closed access}} {{cite journal |title=Environmental Justice, Native Rights, Tourism, and Opposition to Military Control: The Case of Kahoʻolawe |first=Mansel G. |last=Blackford |journal=[[The Journal of American History]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] for the [[Organization of American Historians]] |location=Bloomington, IN, USA |date=September 2004 |volume=91 |issue=2 |pages=544–571 |doi=10.2307/3660711 |oclc=645322308 |issn=0021-8723 |jstor=3660711}} {{Subscription required}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.hanahou.com/pages/magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=434&MagazineID=27&Page=3 |title=The Way Forward |work=[[Hana Hou!]] |first=Paul Devlin |last=Wood |publisher=Pacific Travelogue Inc |volume=9 |issue=2 |page=3 |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |date=April–May 2006 |oclc=39445165 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.hanahou.com/pages/magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=434&MagazineID=27&Page=3 |title=The Way Forward |work=[[Hana Hou!]] |first=Paul Devlin |last=Wood |publisher=Pacific Travelogue Inc |volume=9 |issue=2 |page=3 |location=Honolulu, HI, USA |date=April–May 2006 |oclc=39445165 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810033206/http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=18399 |archivedate=August 10, 2007 |url-status=live |url=http://www.moolelo.com/kahoolawe-nine.html |title=The Kaho'olawe Nine 30 Years Later |first=Kekoa Catherine |last=Enomoto |work=[[The Maui News]] |publisher=[[Ogden Newspapers]] |oclc=8807554 |issn=8750-457X |location=Wailuku, Maui, HI, USA |date=April 4, 2006 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810033206/http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=18399 |archivedate=August 10, 2007 |url-status=live |url=http://www.moolelo.com/kahoolawe-nine.html |title=The Kahoʻolawe Nine 30 Years Later |first=Kekoa Catherine |last=Enomoto |work=[[The Maui News]] |publisher=[[Ogden Newspapers]] |oclc=8807554 |issn=8750-457X |location=Wailuku, Maui, HI, USA |date=April 4, 2006 |accessdate=December 8, 2012}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.huapala.org/Mele_O_Kahoolawe.html |title=Mele O Kahoolawe |last=Mitchell |first=Harry Kunihi |date=April 13, 2012 |work=Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives |accessdate=December 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003205800/http://huapala.org/Mele_O_Kahoolawe.html |archivedate=October 3, 2012 |df=mdy }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.huapala.org/Mele_O_Kahoolawe.html |title=Mele O Kahoolawe |last=Mitchell |first=Harry Kunihi |date=April 13, 2012 |work=Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives |accessdate=December 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003205800/http://huapala.org/Mele_O_Kahoolawe.html |archivedate=October 3, 2012 |df=mdy }}
*{{cite web |last=Enomoto |first=Catherine Kekoa |title=George Helm's soulful music helped solidify a movement|website=archives.starbulletin.com |date=1996-03-11 |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/03/19/features/story1.html |access-date=2020-12-09}}
*{{cite web |last=Enomoto |first=Catherine Kekoa |title=George Helm's soulful music helped solidify a movement|website=archives.starbulletin.com |date=1996-03-11 |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/03/19/features/story1.html |access-date=2020-12-09}}
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Latest revision as of 06:22, 26 November 2024

For the English cricketer, see George Helm (cricketer).
George Helm Jr.
Born(1950-03-23)March 23, 1950
Hawaii
DisappearedMarch 7, 1977 (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 Kalama, Molokai, Hawaii. He graduated from St. Louis High School on Oahu in 1968. While at St. Louis, he studied under Hawaiian cultural experts John Keola Lake and Kahauanu Lake. In 1975, he joined the Hui Aloha ʻĀina organization on Molokai, and participated in the formation of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana organization to end the U.S. Navy's bombing of the island. In 1976, he and nine activists occupied the island. On March 7, 1977, he left for Kahoʻolawe and his whereabouts are unknown.

Early life and musical career

[edit]

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]

Helm was one of the greatest Hawaiian falsetto vocalists, and he played fast, complex guitar parts while singing in an "almost inhuman" vocal range. He was a powerful speaker, writer, and "revolutionary" philosopher who pioneered many Hawaiian sovereignty concepts. He was considered, as his posthumous album title suggests, a "True Hawaiian"[3] who surfed, fished, farmed, loved, sang, worshipped, and thought in the ways of old.[4]

Activism

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Helm began his front-line activism in the Molokaʻi-based group Hui Alaloa around 1975, and became deeply involved in Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana,[5] a Hawaiian-led organization that sought to end the bombing of the island of Kahoʻolawe by the U.S. Navy. In 1976, nine activists occupied the island of Kahoʻolawe and Helm was one of them. He was moved intensely by the power and beauty of the island, and dedicated the rest of his life to fighting for its protection.[citation needed]

Helm, stating "We were touched by some force that pushed us into commitment." (Hawaii Observer, 1976), appealed to the Hawaii State legislature[6] and to the U.S. Congress, where he proved to be a persuasive writer and orator for Kahoʻolawe's protection. However, the bombing continued. More Kahoʻolawe landings by protesters ensued, and on January 30, 1977, five activists (Helm, Walter Ritte, Richard Sawyer, Charles Warrington, and Francis Kaʻuhane) landed on Kahoʻolawe in an attempt to gain greater public recognition of the struggle. Everyone was arrested except for Ritte and Sawyer,[citation needed] who stayed hidden on the island for 35 days, with limited food and water.[7]

Disappearance

[edit]

Concerned for Walter Ritte and Richard Sawyer, George Helm set out — first by boat, then by surfboard — to Kahoʻolawe, with fisherman and park ranger Kimo Mitchell and water expert Billy Mitchell (unrelated) on March 5, 1977. They reached the island, but 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 Sluggo Hahn, but he never came. Hahn's boat would later be found sunk off the pier in Kihei with its bilge plugs removed.[8] On March 7, the three decided to return to Maui. They had a long board, a short board, and a pair of fins between them. The weather was treacherous with high winds, small craft warnings, and pounding waves on the shoreline. 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 were going to prevent them from reaching Maui. At this point, Billy Mitchell took the long board and headed back to Kahoʻolawe to get help. It took him a good part of the day to reach the shore and walk across the island to notify the Navy of the situation and to get the Coast Guard involved in a rescue operation. Helm and Kimo Mitchell were last seen near the islet of Molokini by Billy Mitchell, who was the only survivor of the group.[9]

Legacy

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Today, George Helm Jr. is hailed as one of the Aloha ʻĀina movement's greatest heroes; among young activists, he is as legendary as the great Eddie Aikau is to young surfers.[10] Although his only musical recordings were made with minimal technology in a local bar, they are played regularly on Hawaiian music stations.[3] Generations later, George Helm's music is still inspirational to many, both because it is considered to be some of the finest examples of Hawaiian falsetto ever created, and because it embodies a powerful expression of the Hawaiian soul.[11] The popular song, "Hawaiian Soul," by Jon Osorio and Randy Borden, was written in his memory.[12][13]

In 2020, filmmaker ‘Āina Paikai released a 19-minute film, Hawaiian Soul, about Helm's life.[14][15]

Quotes

[edit]

"We are in a revolution of consciousness .... What we (are) looking for is the truth."[16]

"There is man and there is environment. One does not supersede the other. The breath in man is the breath of Papa. Man is merely the caretaker of the land that maintains his life and nourishes his soul. Therefore, the ʻāina is sacred. The church of life is not in a building, it is the open sky, the surrounding ocean, the beautiful soil...."[17]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McKinley, Ryan (May 22, 2007). "The music of George Helm Jr". Ka Leo O Hawaii. Honolulu, HI, USA: University of Hawaii Board of Publications. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  2. ^ "40 years after men's disappearance at sea, their vision for Kahoolawe has become a reality".
  3. ^ a b "The Music of George Helm - A True Hawaiian". ASIN B003M7J054. OCLC 41616363, 9058443. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ 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. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  6. ^ "kahoolawe catalog | 76.78". November 10, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2012. "kahoolawe catalog | 77.78". November 10, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2012. Pages 1 & 2 of House Resolution # 493, House of Representatives, Eighth Legislature, 1976, State of Hawaii
  7. ^ 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. ASIN B0006Y07P8. OCLC 8661294.
  8. ^ Momona, ʻĀina (December 2, 2020). "Kimo Mitchell". ainamomona. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Morales, Rodney, ed. (January 1, 1984). HoʻiHoʻi Hou, a tribute to George Helm Jr. & Kimo Mitchell. Bamboo Ridge : the Hawaii writers quarterly. Vol. 22. Honolulu, HI, USA: Bamboo Ridge Press. ISBN 9780910043083. OCLC 23139318.
  10. ^ TenBruggencate, Jan (March 16, 2008). "Legend of a hero". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, HI, USA: Gannett Company. OCLC 8807414. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  11. ^ Vance, Kamuela (March 7, 2011). "George Helm – A Hawaiian Legacy". Kingdom of Hawaii. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  12. ^ "A Place Called Hawaii". Toronto, Ontario, Canada: DownloadCentric Corporation. 10. Hawaiian Soul. ASIN B000078JK4. OCLC 52612749. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2012. Audio sample of song.
  13. ^ Osorio, Jon; Borden, Randy (April 13, 2012). "Hawaiian Soul". HUAPALA: Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives. Retrieved December 8, 2012. Written in honor of George Helm
  14. ^ Fernandez-Akamine, Puanani (March 30, 2020). "Hawaiian Soul". Ka Wai Ola. Vol. 37, no. 4. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  15. ^ "Hawaiian Soul". Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. November 5, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  16. ^ Nihipali, Kunani; Pa, Hoʻoipo Kalaenaʻauao; Kanahele, Puʻuhonua "Bumpy" (February 22, 2004). "Commentary: Akaka bill doesn't right wrongs done to Hawaiians". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, HI, USA: Gannett Company. OCLC 8807414. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  17. ^ "E pule kâkou. - Let us pray. Nâ Pule Hawaiʻi - Hawaiian Prayers". Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
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