About Pali Jae Lee

Pali Jae Lee was working as a research librarian at the Department of Anthropology, Bishop Museum, in Honolulu when she began the research for the book, Tales from the Night Rainbow, which is now a Hawaiian classic.  Earlier she had written The History of Wine Growing in America; Giants: A Pictorial History of the Human Colossus; and House Parenting at its Best for the State of Iowa, with Dr. Richard H.W. Lee.  Since then she has written two books; Remembrance, and her second Hawaiian classic, Ho’opono. 

She was born in Kalihi-Palama on O'ahu on Thanksgiving Day, 1925. Her father was Hawaiian, Chinese, Welsh, and her mother of Norman and Swiss stock from Ohio. She grew up here and in Ohio, returning to the islands for good in 1973.

Shortly before she started working at the Bishop Museum she met John Ka-ua-koko-ula-ku-hai-moana-kai-mana Willis, known to his friends as Koko.

Koko, who called himself 100% menehune, was descended of a well-known kaula or prophet of Molokai, Makaweliweli, daughter of the great chief Kaiakea. Her descendants are known as the Kame‘ekua 'ohana.  Incidentally, in this family's tradition, the name of the island is pronounced Molokai, not Moloka‘i.

People always wonder why a true Hawaiian has the name of Willis. When his father, Kimo Kapela, could not get a job as a Hawaiian, he took as his own the name of Bishop Willis of the Episcopalian Church who baptized him.

Together, Pali and Koko researched the book Tales from the Night Rainbow about the teachings of Makaweliweli. Pali wrote the book, listing Koko as a co-author in recognition of his kokua or help. He helped her find all the documents on which she based her research, and cleared the way for her to interview the family kupuna. They later married and were together until Koko’s death in 1994. 

In 1989, the Kame'ekua 'ohana gave Pali the "Bowl of Light Award" for her work on the Tales book. Pali remains a recognized elder of the family.

Pali keeps busy as an active member of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee and Ministry and Worship Committee at the Honolulu Friends Meeting.  For a time she was employed by the Deptartment of Education in the Kupuna Program, but dropped out due to a loss of hearing.  Since that time, she has been known as Kupuna Pali.

Pali has been legally blind since 1971 and has had only light and dark vision since 1999.  She is the Vice President and Program Chair for the Haha me na Lima Club (we see with our hands), a member and past president of Hui Kupuna VIP (elderly blind club), and is a member of the Library for the Blind Consumer Advisory Board.  She is listed in both Who’s Who in the West, and Who’s Who in America.

She is the proud mother of five beautiful and accomplished daughters, most of whom live nearby.  She also has 13 grandchildren who are all making a name for themselves in various fields. 

Pali’s motto is (from the Little Prince): “What is essential, is invisible to the eye; it is only with the heart that one sees rightly.” 

See more about the books Tales from the Night Rainbow and Ho'opono.