Niihau, the seventh largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, is the least populated of the major land masses. It is commonly referred to as the "Forbidden Isle" because of its maintained exclusivity. There are currently 130 inhabitants on the island and it is not open to casual visitors. Yet it remains an important part of Hawaiian culture. The owners of Niihau have ensured over the years that natives are educated in Hawaiian culture and language forms and that development is kept restricted to safeguard the natural surroundings and the creatures that inhabit it. It is in many ways an effective sanctuary because of the limited contact between large populations of humans and these endangered animals. The island lacks many freshwater sources and suffers from extended periods of drought. Nonetheless, it remains a prosperous region which continues to be self sustaining and culturally significant.

History of the Forbidden Isle
Niihau was originally ruled by the alii or great chief. The first known ruler of the island was Kaheelani. This name has since been used to refer to the puka shell jewelry created by present day natives.

The island, though fairly small, became segregated at some point during its history and was ruled by more than one alii. Kaeo and Kawaihoa both established separate kingdoms. This would eventually end when Kaeo defeated Kawaihoa thus uniting the entire island. Kaeo's northern section of the island identified by the black stoned boundary contrasted with Kawaihoa's, which was created with white stone in the southern regions. The battle which would later ensue, known as the Pali Kamakaui, saw Kaeo forming alliances with his brothers Kaiana and Kahakili, the King of Maui. Once he had successfully subdued Kawaihoa he then banished him to the far south of the island and established his Kingdom in the central region. He then married Kamakahelei, who herself was of royal blood. She gave birth to a son Kaumualii in 1790 who later became the future ruler of Kauai and Niihau.

Kamehameha IV desired greatly to place all the Hawaiian Islands under his control. By 1795 he had achieved his vision partially when he conquered 5 of 7 Hawaiian Islands. Kauai and Niihau remained independent of his rule for years. He led two separate missions in an attempt to conquer the united islands but failed twice. Each occasion was marred by misfortune. He suffered great losses and many of his men did not make the return to his own Kingdom. Several years later he prepared a great number of warriors for battle and headed towards the shores of Niihau. The alii Kaumualii reluctantly ceded control of the islands to Kamehameha to avoid the unnecessary deaths of his people. In 1819, after Kamehameha's death, Kaumualii was once again free to re-establish an independent island; however, Kamehameha's widow took him for her husband by force thus continuing the legacy the great ruler created.

The island in its entirety and a small section of Kauai were purchased By Elizabeth McHutchinson from the then ruler of the kingdom, Kamehameha V. It was sold for $10,000 in gold in 1864. She had the option to buy Pearl Harbor or Waikiki but chose Niihau. The privately owned region had a population of 350 natives and 20,000 sheep by 1875.

This particular point in Hawaiian history signified the end of mat weaving, an art that originated on the island. The main materials used to create these intricate designs were found near Niihau's lakes. The plant, known as the sedge, was collected and used to create these versatile mats. They were highly valued by the chiefs and visitors. However, the close of the 19^th century marked a change in the culture, population and environment which forced the original weavers to abandon the once prominent craft.

The ownership of the island passed from Elizabeth to her grandson, Aubrey Robinson, shortly after her death. His first act as owner of the island was to restrict access to the area. Even relatives of natives could not enter the island without being first granted formal permission. After Aubrey's death in 1939, his son Alymer inherited full ownership of the land. It would later pass to his brother Lester and then his sons Bruce and Keith Robinson who are presently the co-owners of Niihau.

On December 7^th, 1941 Niihau became unwittingly involved in events related to the attack on Pearl Harbor. What is now called the Niihau incident, occurred when a Japanese pilot crash landed on the island, after his plane suffered damages in the previous attack. He was captured by the locals but eventually managed to escape with the help of Japanese inhabitants in Niihau. However, his road to freedom was short-lived when he was once again captured and executed.

Though the island is kept isolated from outside influences the owners maintain a strong relationship with the United States Military. There is currently a Navy installation on the island which is occupied by soldiers on a temporary basis throughout the year. In addition special training programs have been implemented by the military which often utilize a few natives during specific exercises.

Climate and Geographical Features
Niihau is located to the west of Kauai and to the north of Lehua, one of the smaller uninhabited islands. It is an estimated 115.32 square miles with its highest point measuring roughly 1,280 feet. It is geologically younger than its neighbor Kauai. The formation of Niihau occurred some 500 thousand years after the development of Kauai via a second volcanic vent that emerged after the eruption of a volcano on Kauai.

The island experiences very little rainfall annually. This is mostly the result of the rain shadow formed by the nearby island Kauai and the island's inability to capture rainfall from the trade winds. Most of Niihau's rainfall occurs during the winter season when the area is most susceptible to more active weather systems. The island experiences drought conditions throughout the year. The first record of long standing drought was in 1792. Captain James Cook's first officer George Vancouver reported that the original inhabitants of the island had abandoned it because of the extreme drought that led to famine.

Plant and Animal Life
The island was virtually without trees in 1778. It was not until Aubrey Robinson, grandfather to the current owners, began planting 10,000 trees annually that the island regained some of its foliage. The increased number of trees has helped to decrease the incidence of drought. Keith Robinson has also devoted much of his time to preserving plant life on the island. Many of the plants presently grown on Niihau have been formally documented. Yet, despite the island's arid lands it is still an important sanctuary for endemic and often endangered plants and animals. The olulu and the Pritchardia palm tree are both unique to the Niihau and are also on the list of endangered plant species in the archipelago.

The island is home to several species of birds. The wet land habitat, sustained by the playa lakes, provides the ideal environment for birds like the Black-winged Stilt, the Hawaiian Coot and the Hawaiian Duck. In addition, monk seals which are close to extinction because of earlier hunting activities are found in large groups along the shore line. Robinson believes that Niihau provides a better environment for these seals than the nearby area around the Northwestern Islands which is an officially recognized sanctuary for these creatures. The monk seals were virtually wiped out by the natives who killed them to prevent the reduction of fish populations, their primary food source.

Other animals found on Niihau include feral sheep, oryxes, and wild boars. Though these are not indigenous they have successfully reproduced and adapted to the environment. Private safari tours which are periodically carried out on the island make use of these big game herds for hunting purposes.

Preservation of the Hawaiian Culture
The population of Niihau, though small, represents an important facet of Hawaiian culture. Many of the natives rely on farming and fishing as a means of support and some are dependent on state welfare. The lifestyle of the average inhabitant is modest and the use of technology is limited. The natives do not pay rent and they are given meat regularly. There are no telephones, radios or televisions on the island. Special guests are not allowed to take mobile telephones with them when visiting. The main modes of transportation are bicycles and horses. The region is powered by solar power and there are no shops or malls. Groceries can be bought from Kauai and shipped for free to Niihau.

The official language spoken on the island is Hawaiian. Natives are expected to interact in this tongue as stipulated in the contract signed by all inhabitants. This is mainly done to preserve the culture. It is presently the only island that primarily speaks the Hawaiian language. Musical forms are also maintained, in particular, those that are accompanied by the native instrument the ukulele.

Niihau is one of the more intriguing islands in the archipelago. It has remained an area that perpetuates Hawaiian culture and in many ways is unspoiled by outside influences. Though it is still affected by drought conditions, the natives live peacefully in the safe haven of its confines. The preservation efforts are indeed very laudable. Several species have managed to revive their numbers or avoid complete extinction. Niihau, though fairly inaccessible, is still significant to the history and culture of Hawaii.

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