Niihau

Niihau, at 69.9 sq. miles (181.04 km²), is the smallest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. State of Hawaii. Niihau is also known as the "Forbidden Island". This is due to the fact that until recently, the island was off-limits to all but relatives of the island's owner, U.S. Navy personnel, government officials and expressly invited guests. Now, tourists can see the island through a limited number of supervised tours, including diving, hiking, and hunting safaris.

Geography and Geology

Niihau is not the geologically oldest of the eight main islands, contrary to popular belief. Kauai is older, though it is further Southeast. This is because Niihau was formed by a secondary vent that formed after the Kauai volcano was erupting. Kauai is estimated at being formed 5.1 million years ago, while Niihau is estimated at being formed 4.9 million years ago. Niihau consists of one extinct volcano that had a large landslide to the east.

The island is relatively arid, because it is situated in the rain shadow of Kauai and lacks the elevation needed to catch significant amounts of Trade Wind rainfall (see orographic precipitation).

The island is located about 29 km (18 miles) west of Kauai. Its dimensions are 30 km by 10 km (6.2 x 18.6 mi; its land area is 56.6% larger than uninhabited Kahoolawe). The maximum elevation (Paniau) is 390 m (1280 ft). The United States Census Bureau defines Niihau (with the neighboring small island of Lehua) as Census Tract 410 of Kauai County, Hawaii. Its 2000 census population was 160. Census Tract 410, Kauai County United States Census Bureau

On the beaches of the island are found shells which are the only shells to be classified as gems. Niihau shells and the jewelry made from them are very popular. Many, especially those with darker and richer color, are collectors' items. The sale of shells and shell jewelry provide an additional source of income for the local populace. The Robinson family claims that the unusual luster of Niihau shells is due to the island's extremely low pollution levels (in relation to the other islands).

People

The island has approximately 160 permanent inhabitants, nearly all of whom are Native Hawaiians who live in the island's main settlement of Puuwai. They support themselves largely by subsistence agriculture and welfare and generally lead a rural, low-tech life. They speak the Hawaiian language and keep traditions alive. This is enabled by terms in the purchase contract obligating the owner to help preserve Hawaiian culture and tradition. Niihau is the only one of the Hawaiian islands on which the Hawaiian language is still the main form of communication.

However, the Native Hawaiians are hardly cut off from the outside world; Niihau is subject to regular droughts that occasionally force the population to temporarily evacuate to Kauai until the water supply is replenished by the next big rainstorm. In recent years, another problem has been tourists and fishermen overfishing the surrounding waters: the island residents already compete with the local endangered population of Hawaiian monk seals for seafood (the seals are protected by the Endangered Species Act).

Communities

History

The entire island is owned by the Robinson family who purchased it from the Kingdom of Hawaii for $10,000 in gold in 1864. It was said that the purchaser, Elizabeth Sinclair (later Sinclair-Robinson), bought the island in preference to other real estate parcels such as Waikīkī, Pearl Harbor, or the island of Lānai. In 1915, grandson Aubrey Robinson closed the island to most outside visitors; even relatives of the inhabitants could visit only by special permission.

Niihau had a small role to play during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. An off-course Japanese pilot landed at Niihau and was captured by locals. With the assistance of local Japanese residents, the pilot escaped, but was later recaptured and killed. The incident is referred to locally as the "Battle of Niihau." ^*

Despite the self-imposed isolation, Niihau has a long-standing relationship with the U.S. military dating from before World War II. There is a small U.S. Navy installation on the Island, but no military personnel are permanently stationed there. More recently, however, the U.S. military has used the island for training special operations units, hiring the Niihauans as "enemy" trackers.

Many of the residents of Niihau were employees of the Niihau Ranch until the Robinson family finally had to shut the operation down in 1999; it had not been profitable for most of the 20th century. Many of the residents ended up on federal welfare, although these benefits will end soon because of the five-year limit on such benefits. The Robinson family has been considering alternative economic options to keep their residents employed, such as an increased economic role for the U.S. military (an earlier 1999 proposal to establish a missile testing program on the island fell by the wayside), or increased tourism. Either of these would erode the relative isolation that the residents currently enjoy.

Politics

Niihau has generally been supportive of the Republican Party. In 2004, George W. Bush received all but one of the 40 votes cast on the island. The remaining vote was cast for Green Party nominee David Cobb. 51 registered voters did not cast ballots. (See the official Hawaii 2004 election results for precinct 16-09 for more details.)

External links

References

Islands of Hawaii | Volcanoes of Hawaii

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