Abraham Akau
Year Inducted: 1999
Kualoa Ranch | O`ahu
Parker Ranch | Hawai'i
As Kualoa Ranch hand and foreman for over 45 years, Uncle Abraham can still ride, rope, herd, brand, and handle horses and cattle better than anyone on the place. Even though he claims to be retired, everyone knows it isn’t true because a true Paniolo never stops doing what he does best. Uncle Manny was first hired at age 15 by Parker Ranch to train wild horses. I got into that breaking pen and I just loved it. The wilder they came, the better, he says. The rough and tumble cowboy later broke his back in five places when he fell from his horse while going after a runaway steer. The late Francis Morgan who established Kualoa Ranch, saw Abe’s special qualities when he arrived there in 1953. Mr. Morgan said, “Of all the things I’ve ever done for Kualoa Ranch, the best thing was to hire Abraham Akau.” His skill and knowledge, decades of dedicated service, love for and patience with horses as well as people; and the respect people hold for him as a cowboy and a teacher make him a true Paniolo.