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(#5) It Was The Only Hawaiian Island To Vote Against Statehood
Hawaii had been a US territory since 1898, a few years after a group of businessmen and plantation owners deposed Queen Lili'uokalani. When annexing Hawaii into the US came up for a vote in 1959, a referendum showed 93% of Hawaiians supported the proposition.
Of course, 90% of Hawaii's population was American citizens by that point. Niihau was the only island that voted against the measure. Of the 140,000 total votes cast, only 8,000 opposed statehood.
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(#13) Visits To The Island Are By Invitation, Or By Exclusive Tour
It's possible to visit the island for $440 by helicopter. When the Robinsons purchased a helicopter in the '80s, they began offering tours to offset the cost. The helicopter is mostly for emergencies and to transport residents to nearby islands if need be.
Tourists can ride in the helicopter for a small fee. A pilot circles Niihau then lands on one of the island's northernmost beaches, where visitors can stay for a few hours. The Robinsons also run safaris, where visitors can hunt wild boar.
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(#6) As Of 2010, There Are Only About 35 Permanent Residents
According to the 2010 US census, the total population of Niihau is 170 people. But in an interview for This American Life, resident Pulani Kahokuloa said the total number of people living on the island has decreased significantly in recent years.
He said there are five families, or about 25 people on the island. Other estimates approximate 35 to 50 people on the island, however.
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(#2) The Island Has Consistently Resisted American Assimilation And Influence
On Niihau, the primary language is Hawaiian. Students learn some English in school, but its use is otherwise limited. Niihau's children attend school through the eighth grade, but none have ever passed an armed services literary test.
Post-war, Niihau modernized minimally. Some homes installed gas-powered refrigerators, and a number of residents got radios. The Robinsons also installed a phone line that reached Makaweli, which - in addition to carrier pigeons and signal flares - they use to contact the outside world.
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(#4) During The Pearl Harbor Air Raid, A Crash Landing Led To A Fatal Confrontation Now Known As 'The Niihau Incident'
Following the air raid on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Japanese pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi was escorting another aircraft to carry out a strike on nearby US Army airbase Bellows Field, but an American aircraft struck his plane. He crash landed on Niihau; the island had yet to receive news of the air raid and Japan's declaration of joining WWII.
Polynesian native Hawila Kaleohano confiscated the pilot's papers with important codes and military plans. He called over Yoshio and Irene Harada to speak to the pilot in Japanese. He told them the news of Pearl Harbor, and they kept it a secret from their fellow islanders.
Yoshi attempted to help Nishikaichi retrieve the papers Kaleohano had taken from him upon his landing. Kaleohano fled and hid the papers at his mother-in-law's house. Yoshi and Nishikaichi set fire to Kaleohano's home and took several townspeople hostage, including Benehakaka and Ella Kanahele. During an altercation, Nishikaichi shot Benehakaka, which enraged the captor. Benehakaka threw Nishikaichi against a wall, then cut his neck while Ella fatally beat the pilot with a rock.
Yoshi also perished in the fight after accidentally shooting himself in the gut. Authorities imprisoned Irene for three years in Honolulu. Benehakaka received the Medal for Merit and a Purple Heart, and Kaleohano was awarded a Medal of Freedom and a sum of money to repair his property affected by the crash.
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(#8) The Island Is Host To Navy Special Ops Training And R&D For Military Defense
While the island's economy once relied on ranching, the business hasn't been profitable in recent years. The Robinsons have tried making honey and charcoal, but neither proved lucrative.
Niihau makes its money today through military contracts. The island is home to a US Navy radar facility. Niihau additionally hosts Navy exercises. Keith Robinson is proud of the military contracts because they've kept the island and its inhabitants afloat without having to open the island to Hawaii's tourism industry:
Without that money, frankly, your community, your jobs would not have survived. It's just that simple. For the time being, US Navy is your source of income that keeps all of you going here and which keeps us going and allows us to pay the taxes on this place.
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About This Tool
We all know that Hawaii is the only archipelago state in the United States, consisting of 132 islands in the central Pacific, but only a few important islands. Among them, Niihau island is a completely private island, even Hawaiians from other islands cannot enter. Niihau became a forbidden island in 1864 when Scotsman Elizabeth McHutchison Sinclair bought the island and closed the coastline. The island still belongs to the family.
Not only it has a unique culture, but Niihau is also home to many endangered species. An isolated and rigorous lifestyle has both advantages and disadvantages, in recent years, more people have gradually left the island. The generator shows more information about the privately owned island.
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