Niʻihau

Niʻihau, sometimes written Niihau, is the seventh largest island in Hawaii and the westernmost of the main islands. It lies 17.5 miles (28.2 km) southwest of Kauaʻi across the Kaulakahi Channel. The island covers an area of 69.5 square miles (180 km²). It has several small lakes that give a home to birds like the Hawaiian coot, the Hawaiian stilt, and the Hawaiian duck. Niʻihau is also an important place for a rare plant called Brighamia insignis.

In the year 2010, about 170 people lived on Niʻihau, and by 2020, the number had dropped to 84. Most of these people are native Hawaiians, and they are famous for making beautiful shell leis called lei pūpū. They mainly speak the Hawaiian language, which is more common here than English anywhere else.

The island was bought in 1864 by a Scottish woman named Elizabeth Sinclair from the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi for US$10,000 (which would be about $206,000 today). It has been owned by her family, the Robinsons, ever since. Today, it is looked after by two brothers, Bruce and Keith Robinson. The island is known as "the Forbidden Isle" because very few people are allowed to visit. Only the Robinson family, their relatives, U.S. Navy members, government workers, and special guests can go there. Since 1987, a few organized tours and hunting trips have been allowed for visitors.

During World War II, an important event happened on Niʻihau. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, a Japanese navy fighter pilot crashed there. The people who lived on the island helped him. This event is remembered as the Niʻihau incident.

Geography

See also: List of beaches in Niʻihau

Niʻihau is an island about 18 miles west of Kauaʻi. The tiny island of Lehua is nearby. Niʻihau is small, measuring 6.2 miles wide and 18.6 miles long. Its highest point, Pānīʻau, is 1,280 feet tall. The island is very old, about 6 million years, and was once part of a big volcano that broke apart long ago.

Niʻihau is dry because Kauaʻi blocks the rain. It gets most of its water from winter storms, which can cause long dry times. In the past, droughts were so bad that people had to leave the island for a while.

The island had very few trees, but people planted many new ones. This helped bring more rain. Niʻihau has special plants and animals, including rare birds and the Hawaiian monk seal. Some big animals like elk and antelope were added to the island and people come to hunt them.

History

Niʻihau was ruled by local leaders called aliʻi before it became part of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The first ruler was Kahelelani. Later, Kāʻeo unified the island after a big battle. Niʻihau became part of the Hawaiian Kingdom when its last ruler, Kaumualiʻi, agreed to join in 1810.

In 1864, a woman named Elizabeth McHutchison Sinclair bought Niʻihau. By the late 1800s, the island had around 350 Native Hawaiians and many sheep. The people of Niʻihau were known for weaving special mats, but this tradition stopped by the end of the 19th century.

In 1915, the island's ownership passed to the Robinson family, who closed the island to most visitors. Today, the Robinson family still owns Niʻihau and has strict rules for the people who live there. The island does not have electricity or running water.

The Niʻihau incident

Niʻihau was the site of an event soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor called the Niʻihau incident (or the Battle of Niʻihau). On December 7, 1941, a Japanese pilot whose Zero airplane had been hit crash-landed on the island. He was caught but later escaped with help from some local people. He was killed a short time after.

Even though Niʻihau stays very separate from the world, it has had a long connection with the U.S. military since 1924. There is a small Navy base on the island. The U.S. military has used the island for training special operations units. They have sometimes asked people who live on Niʻihau to help in these training exercises.

Society

See also: Politics of Hawaii

Niʻihau was once thought to be a good place for a big meeting in 1944. The island is mostly supported by one political group, unlike the rest of Hawaii. Not many people live on Niʻihau. Some say there are about 170, but others think it is closer to 35 to 50. People there live without phones, roads, or running water. They use horses to get around and get their power from the sun. They drink rainwater and grow their own food.

People on Niʻihau mainly speak Hawaiian in a special way that is different from other places. They also speak English. Some have radios but can only watch shows that have already been recorded. The island sometimes has very little rain, so people may need to stay on another island for a while. Some travel to another island for work, doctors, or school. A helicopter helps people travel when needed.

The local school teaches children many things, including how to live off the land, and uses solar power. The number of students changes because families move back and forth between islands. Some children go to schools on another island where they learn both Hawaiian and English and keep their special traditions alive.

Economy

Most of Niʻihau's money comes from a small Navy place on very tall cliffs. This place helps test tools and makes money each year. It helps the island without needing many tourists or big factories.

People also make money by selling pretty shells and shell jewelry. The island's beaches have tiny shells that wash up in winter. These shells are used to make special leis. A rule was made in 2004 to protect these leis from being copied. Some of these leis can be very valuable.

In the past, many people worked on a ranch taking care of cattle and sheep, but the ranch closed in 1999. Other jobs like making honey or charcoal also stopped working well. Farming mullet fish is still popular. Small fish are grown in ponds and sold on nearby islands like Kauaʻi and Oʻahu.

Since 2010, the island's owner has thought about new ways to bring in money, like making jet fuel or using windmills for energy. However, he has chosen not to sell sand from the beaches to protect the environment.

Tourism

Since around 1986 or 1987, the island's owners have allowed short helicopter and beach tours, but visitors do not stay overnight. Starting in 1992, people can also pay to hunt animals like eland, aoudad, and oryx, as well as wild sheep and boars on the island. Any meat left behind is given to the village.

In popular culture

Niʻihau is in the 2019 film Enemy Within. The island is also in an episode of Lilo and Stitch: The Series called "Splodeyhead." The characters get stuck there while trying to catch an explosive experiment.

Explanatory notes

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