Ni‘ihau
Ni’ihau is the smallest and the oldest of the inhabited Hawaiian islands. Ni’ihau is a privately owned island, and is generally off-limits to all but relatives of the island's owners, U.S. Navy personnel, government officials and invited guests. Public access is allowed only with permission of the owners. Ni’ihau’s privacy has allowed the island to remain mysterious and even omitted off many tourist maps.
Nickname: The Forbidden Island
Island Color: White
Island Flora: Pupu (Small Shells)
Pupu shells are so small and delicate, to string them together is a pure form of art. In 2004, Governor Linda Lingle signed Act 91, to impose labeling requirements on pupu shell leis in order to deter and protect against counterfeiting.
Area: 72 square miles, Ni’ihau lies 18 miles from Kaua’i across the Kaulakahi Channel
The Robinson Family, the current owners of Ni’ihau, purchased the island from the Kingdom of Hawai’i in 1864 for $10,000 in gold.
This island has preserved many of the traditional ways of life and is inhabited by about 200 people of Hawaiian ancestry whose primary language is Hawaiian.
The Niihauans fish and hunt for their main staples of food, with their diet supplemented by supplies brought in by air and sea by the owners of the island. The residents of Ni’ihau still hunt with ropes and knives and fish with spears and nets.
Once they purchased the island in 1864, the owners made a commitment to the maintenance of the Hawaiian culture.
Fun Facts about Ni‘ihau
1. There is highly limited access to Ni’ihau by general public through helicopter landings at uninhabited sites.
2. Legend says Ni’ihau was the original home of the goddess Pele.
3. Ni’ihau is most famous for its delicate shell leis … it takes years to collect enough of these tiny colorful shells to make a lei, and they often sell for thousands of dollars.
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