Rose Freitas

Duration:

1 hour, 22 minutes, 34 seconds

Part 1 interview with Rose Freitas. Interview was conducted by Alana Kanahele. This project was a collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Center for Oral History and the National Park Service.

 

Full Transcript Part 1

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Rose Cambra Freitas was born on June 16th, 1932, on a Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar (HC&S) plantation in Puʻunēnē, Maui. Her father, who was born and raised in Kula, worked as a luna in the sugarcane fields, while her mother was a homemaker. Rose’s mother had twelve children, nine girls and three boys, of which Rose was the second eldest. Growing up on the plantation, Rose was quickly introduced to horses and learned to ride. In 1951, a rancher named Raymond Freitas came to her home in Makawao to meet her and asked her if she liked riding horses. They started riding horses together, and in 1952, Rose and Raymond were married. Rose and her husband volunteered in the park for fifty years, working in the cabins, assisting in feral animal control efforts, and helping with other projects. Rose has led a distinguished life as a member of the Makawao community, as a nationally recognized cowgirl, and an honorary park ranger at Haleakalā National Park. In 1999, she was honored by the Department of the Interior for her volunteer contributions. In 2005, she was selected as one of the 100 most influential people of Maui County of the last century, and in 2006 she was formally inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Additionally, in 1974, Rose and her daughter, Sharon, founded the All Girls Rodeo and Junior Boys and Girls Rodeo Association.