Kaho?olawe Island ReserveBy state law, Kaho?olawe and its waters can be used only for Native Hawaiian cultural, spiritual, and subsistence purposes; fishing; environmental restoration; historic preservation; and education.
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During World War II, Kahoolawe became a bombing range for the U.S. Military.Finally in 1990, the military ceased live bombings, and today the island is protected to reestablish plant life and to preserve native Hawaiian culture.
Access to the Reserve (the island and the 2 miles of ocean surrounding Kaho'olawe) is restricted because of the continued danger of unexploded ordnance. Access to the Reserve is permitted only with authorization of KIRC for specific purposes, such as restoration, education, and culture.
Niihau, also known as the Forbidden Isle, is a beautiful small island in Hawaii spread across 180 sq km. The island is off-limits to outsiders and only the Robinson family, their relatives, invited guests, government officials and US Navy personnel are allowed here.
There are a total of eight main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago in the North Pacific, though Niihau and Kahoolawe are forbidden to visitors. Of the remaining six—Hawaii Island, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu—each island is unique in its ambiance and attractions, and all are perfect winter travel destinations.
U.S. Navy conveys deed of ownership of Kaho'olawe to the State of Hawai'i. The Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission is established to manage activities on the island.
Access to the Reserve (the island and the 2 miles of ocean surrounding Kaho'olawe) is restricted because of the continued danger of unexploded ordnance. Access to the Reserve is permitted only with authorization of KIRC for specific purposes, such as restoration, education, and culture.
No one is allowed to land on Niihau unless you are a resident of the island, a member of the Robinson family, or an invited guest. The Robinson family permits helicopter tours, but contact between the visitors and natives is not allowed. Fishermen and sailors may visit the island by sea, but are not able to land.
When the Sinclairs purchased the island in 1864, they committed to maintaining Niihau's Hawaiian culture. Brothers Bruce and Keith Robinson, descendants of the Sinclairs, own the island today, and they have continued to protect the island from the pressures of the outside world.
Foremost among these was Kanaloa, one of the four a major deities in the Hawaiian pantheon, who is considered by many Page 6 to have been the god of the sea. One of the ancient names of Kaho'olawe, the name by which it is known in the chants which tell of the birth of these islands, is Kanaloa.
Kaho'olawe, A Sacred IslandCalled in ancient times, “Kanaloa” or “Kohemalamalama,” the island was a place where kahuna and navigators were trained and played an important role in early Pacific migrations.
The way to Kaho'olaweSince the Kaho'olawe coast is not safe to dock boats of any kind, you will need to swim all the way to the island. Although there are US Army trucks on the island, you'll get around on foot most of the time.
The legend of Pele's curse says that anyone who removes anything natively Hawaiian like pieces of rock or sand from the Hawaiian islands will feel the wrath of Pele who views the rocks as her children. Legend has it that if you take from Pele, you will incur years of bad luck.
No one is allowed to visit Hawaii's Forbidden Isle—the 70-square-mile island, which on a clear day can be spied from Kauai's west coast—unless they are invited by Niihau owners the Robinson family, or by one of its 70 full-time Native Hawaiian residents.