Editing Niihau

{{Short description|Westernmost and seventh largest inhabited island in Hawai{{okina}}i}}
{{distinguish|Nihoa}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox island
| name                            = Ni{{okina}}ihau
| nickname                        = The Forbidden Isle
| image_name                      = Niihau_sep_2007.jpg
| image_caption                   = Aerial view of Ni{{okina}}ihau looking southwestward from the northeast
| map_image                       = Map of Hawaii highlighting Niihau.svg
| image_map_caption                = Location of Ni{{okina}}ihau in the [[Hawaii|state of Hawai{{okina}}i]]
| map                             = USA Hawaii#North Pacific
| map_alt                         = Location of Ni{{okina}}ihau in the Hawaiian Islands
| location                        = [[North Pacific Ocean]]
| coordinates                     = {{Coord|21|54|N|160|10|W|type:isle_scale:500000|display=inline,title}}
| area_sqmi                       = 69.5
| highest_mount                   = [[Mount Pānī{{okina}}au]]
| elevation_ft                    = 1,250
| population                      = 84
| population_as_of                = 2020
| density_sqmi                    = 1.9
| country_largest_city            = [[Pu{{okina}}uwai, Hawaii|Pu{{okina}}uwai]]
| country                         = United States
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = [[U.S. state|State]]
| country_admin_divisions_1       = [[Hawaii|Hawai{{okina}}i]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = [[Counties of Hawaii|County]]
| country_admin_divisions_2       = [[Kauai County, Hawaii|Kaua{{okina}}i]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_3 = Owner(s)
| country_admin_divisions_3       = Bruce Robinson<br />[[Keith Robinson (environmentalist)|Keith Robinson]]
| country_admin_divisions_4       = {{Infobox place symbols
|embedded=yes
|island=yes
|flower= ''Pūpū ke{{okina}}oke{{okina}}o''<!-- Correct if Hawaiian is not accurate --> (white shell){{sfn|Shearer|2002|p=99}}
|color= ''Ke{{okina}}oke{{okina}}o'' (white){{sfn|Shearer|2002|p=230}}}}
| rank                            = 7th largest [[Hawaiian Islands|Hawaiian Island]]
| ethnic_groups                   = [[Native Hawaiians|Hawaiian]]
| timezone1                       = [[Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone|Hawaii–Aleutian]]}}
'''Ni{{okina}}ihau''' ([[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]]: {{IPA|haw|ˈniʔiˈhɐw|}}), anglicized as '''Niihau''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|iː|(|i|)|h|aʊ}} {{respell|NEE|(ee-)how}}), is the seventh largest island in [[Hawaii]] and the westernmost of the main islands. It is {{convert|17.5|mi|km}} southwest of [[Kauai|Kaua{{okina}}i]] across the [[Channels of the Hawaiian Islands#Kaulakahi Channel|Kaulakahi Channel]]. Its area is {{convert|69.5|sqmi|km2}}.<ref name="SizeRef">{{cite web |url=http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/economic/databook/db2004/section05.pdf |title=Table 5.08 – Land Area of Islands: 2000 |work=2004 State of Hawaii Data Book |publisher=State of Hawaii |year=2004 |access-date=July 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070809031048/http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/economic/databook/db2004/section05.pdf |archive-date= Aug 9, 2007 }}</ref> Several intermittent [[Sink (geography)|playa]] lakes provide [[wetland]] habitats for the [[Hawaiian coot]], the [[Hawaiian stilt]], and the [[Hawaiian duck]]. The island is designated as critical habitat for ''[[Brighamia insignis]]'', an endemic and endangered species of [[Hawaiian lobelioids|Hawaiian lobelioid]]. The [[United States Census Bureau]] defines Ni{{okina}}ihau and the neighboring island and State Seabird Sanctuary of [[Lehua]] as [[census tract|Census Tract]] 410 of [[Kauai County, Hawaii]].  Its [[2010 United States census|2010 census]] population was 170, most of them native Hawaiians. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was reported to have fallen to 84.<ref>{{cite web |title=Niihau CCD, Kauai County, Hawaii |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Niihau_CCD%2C_Kauai_County%2C_Hawaii?g=060XX00US1500792340 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=9 June 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240223031440/https://data.census.gov/profile/Niihau_CCD,_Kauai_County,_Hawaii?g=060XX00US1500792340 |archive-date= 23 February 2024}}</ref>

[[Elizabeth Sinclair]] purchased Ni{{okina}}ihau in 1864 for {{US$|10,000|1864|round=-4|about=yes}} from the [[Hawaiian Kingdom|Kingdom of Hawaii]]. The island's private ownership passed on to her descendants, the [[Aubrey Robinson (Hawaii planter)|Robinson]]s. During [[World War II]], the island was the site of the [[Niihau incident|Ni{{okina}}ihau incident]], in which, following the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], a [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service|Japanese navy]] [[Fighter aircraft|fighter]] pilot crashed on the island and received help from the island's residents of Japanese descent.

The island, known as "the Forbidden Isle", is off-limits to all outsiders except the Robinson family and their relatives, [[U.S. Navy]] personnel, government officials, and invited guests. From 1987 onward, a limited number of supervised activity tours and hunting safaris have opened to tourists. The island is currently managed by brothers Bruce and [[Keith Robinson (environmentalist)|Keith Robinson]]. The people of Ni{{okina}}ihau are noted for their gemlike ''[[Lei (garland)|lei pūpū]]'' (shell lei) craftsmanship. They speak [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] as a primary language. The island has attracted some controversy for the strict rules the Robinson family imposes on the island and its inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-03 |title=Hawaii’s Forbidden Island and the Real-Life Swiss Family Robinson who Controls it |url=https://www.messynessychic.com/2021/08/25/hawaiis-forbidden-island-and-the-real-life-swiss-family-robinson-who-controls-it/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Messy Nessy Chic |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{See also|List of beaches in Ni{{okina}}ihau}}
Ni{{okina}}ihau is located about {{convert|18|mi|km}} west of [[Kauai|Kaua{{okina}}i]], and the tiny, uninhabited island of [[Lehua]] lies {{convert|0.7|mi|nmi km}} north of Ni{{okina}}ihau. Ni{{okina}}ihau's dimensions are 6.2 miles by 18.6 miles (10km × 30km). The maximum elevation (Paniau) is {{convert|1280|ft|m|0}}.<ref name="ElevationRef">{{cite web |url=http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/economic/databook/db2004/section05.pdf |title=Table 5.11 – Elevations of Major Summits |work=2004 State of Hawaii Data Book |publisher=State of Hawaii |year=2004 |access-date=July 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070809031048/http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/economic/databook/db2004/section05.pdf |archive-date= Aug 9, 2007}}</ref> The island is about 6 million years old, making it geologically older than the 5.8-million-year-old neighboring island of Kaua{{okina}}i to the northeast.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Volcano Watch — A geologic tour of the Hawaiian Islands: Kaua'i and Ni'ihau |url=https://www.usgs.gov/news/volcano-watch-geologic-tour-hawaiian-islands-kauai-and-niihau |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=U.S. Geological Survey |date=January 7, 2016 |last1=Hawaiian Volcano Observatory }}</ref> Ni{{okina}}ihau is the remnant of the southwestern slope of what was once a much larger volcano. The entire summit and other slopes collapsed into the ocean in a giant prehistoric [[volcanic landslide|landslide]].<ref name="soest.hawaii.edu 2004">{{cite web |title=GG 103 Class 26: Regional Geology of Kau'i, Ni'ihau and NW Hawaiian chain |website=School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology |date=April 10, 2004 |url=https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/moore/gg103/class_26.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329015157/https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/moore/gg103/class_26.htm |archive-date=March 29, 2021 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Climate===
The island is relatively [[arid]] because it lies in the [[rain shadow]] of Kaua{{okina}}i and lacks the elevation needed to catch significant amounts of [[trade wind]] rainfall. Ni{{okina}}ihau, therefore, depends on winter [[Kona storm]]s for its rain, when more southerly weather systems intrude into the region. As such, the island is subject to long periods of [[drought]].{{sfn|Tabrah|1987|pp=10–11}} Historical droughts on Ni{{okina}}ihau have been recorded several times, one in 1792 by Captain [[James Cook]]'s former junior officer, [[George Vancouver]], who had been told that the people of Ni{{okina}}ihau had abandoned the island because of a severe drought and had moved to Kaua{{okina}}i to escape famine.{{sfn|Tabrah|1987|p=49}}

{{Weather box
|location = Pu{{okina}}uwai
|single line = Y
|Jan high F = 79
|Feb high F = 79
|Mar high F = 81
|Apr high F = 82
|May high F = 83
|Jun high F = 85
|Jul high F = 86
|Aug high F = 87
|Sep high F = 87
|Oct high F = 86
|Nov high F = 83
|Dec high F = 81
|year high F = 83
|Jan low F = 65
|Feb low F = 65
|Mar low F = 65
|Apr low F = 66
|May low F = 67
|Jun low F = 69
|Jul low F = 70
|Aug low F = 71
|Sep low F = 71
|Oct low F = 70
|Nov low F = 68
|Dec low F = 66
|year low F = 68
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain inch = 2.96
|Feb rain inch = 1.48
|Mar rain inch = 1.53
|Apr rain inch = 0.75
|May rain inch = 0.63
|Jun rain inch = 0.33
|Jul rain inch = 0.50
|Aug rain inch = 0.62
|Sep rain inch = 0.84
|Oct rain inch = 2.35
|Nov rain inch = 2.74
|Dec rain inch = 2.78
|year rain inch = 17.51
|source 1    =The Weather Channel <ref name="The Weather Channel">{{cite web
  | url = https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/USHI0255:1:US
  | title = Puuwai, HI Monthly Weather Forecast
  | publisher = [[The Weather Channel]]
  | access-date = May 7, 2018 }}</ref>
|date=May 2018
}}

===Flora and fauna===
[[File:Niihau cliffs aerial.jpg|thumb|left|View of the rugged cliffs of windward Ni{{okina}}ihau (the northeastern shore)]]
As an arid island, Ni{{okina}}ihau was barren of trees for centuries – Captain [[James Cook]] reported it treeless in 1778. [[Aubrey Robinson (Hawaii planter)|Aubrey Robinson]], grandfather of current owners Bruce Robinson and Keith Robinson, planted 10,000 trees per year during much of his ownership of the island; Robinson's [[afforestation]] efforts increased rainfall in the dry climate.<ref name="khon2009" /> Island co-owner Keith Robinson, a noted [[conservation movement|conservationist]], preserved and documented many of Ni{{okina}}ihau's natural plant resources. The island is designated as a critical habitat for the ''[[Brighamia insignis|{{okina}}ōlulu]]'', an endemic and endangered species of [[Hawaiian lobelioid]]. ''[[Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii]]'', a [[Arecaceae|palm]] tree named for Keith Robinson's uncle [[Aylmer Robinson]], is an endangered species native to Ni{{okina}}ihau.

Several bird species thrive on Ni{{okina}}ihau. The largest lakes on the island are [[Hālali{{okina}}i Lake]], [[Halulu Lake]] and [[Nonopapa Lake]].<ref>{{Hawaiian Dictionaries|Nonopapa Lake|HASH93333704227c2989be6a6a|dic=hpn|access-date=September 24, 2010}}</ref> These intermittent [[Sink (geography)|playa]] lakes on the island provide [[wetland]] habitats for the ''[[Hawaiian coot|{{okina}}alae ke{{okina}}oke{{okina}}o]]'' (Hawaiian coot), the ''[[Hawaiian stilt|āe{{okina}}o]]'' (Hawaiian subspecies of Black-necked Stilt), and the ''[[Hawaiian duck|koloa maoli]]'' (Hawaiian duck). The critically endangered [[Hawaiian monk seal]] (''Monachus schauinslandi'') is found in high numbers on Ni{{okina}}ihau's shores. Robinson states that Ni{{okina}}ihau's secluded shoreline offers them a safe haven from habitat encroachments. According to Robinson, conditions there are better than the government refuges of the [[Northwestern Hawaiian Islands]]. When the Robinsons originally purchased Ni{{okina}}ihau, no monk seals were present, because they lived in the northwestern part of the Hawaiian island chain, [[Necker Island (Hawaii)|Necker]] and [[Midway Island|Midway]] islands. They have been relocated to the main Hawaiian island chain by [[NOAA]] fisheries over the past thirty years, and some have found homes on Ni{{okina}}ihau.<ref name="khon2009" /><ref name="TavaKeale1990">{{cite book|last1=Tava|first1=Rerioterai|last2=Keale|first2=Moses K.|title=Niihau: The Traditions of a Hawaiian Island|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0GPxAAAAMAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Mutual Publishing Company|location=Honolulu|oclc=21275453|page=95|isbn=9780935180800}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Mooallem |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Mooallem |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/magazine/who-would-kill-a-monk-seal.html |title=Who Would Kill a Monk Seal? |magazine=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |date=May 8, 2013}}</ref>

[[Big game hunting|Big game]] herds, imported from stock on [[Molokai|Moloka{{okina}}i]] Ranch in recent years, roam Ni{{okina}}ihau's forests and flatlands. [[Taurotragus|Eland]] and [[aoudad]] are abundant, along with [[oryx]]es, wild [[boar]]s and feral [[sheep]]. These big game herds provide income from [[Big-game hunter|hunting]] [[safari]] tourism.<ref name="khon2009" />

==History==
[[File:Map of Yam Bay and Niihau, Captain George Dixon's Journal, 1788.jpg|thumb|Map of Yam Bay and Ni{{okina}}ihau, Captain [[George Dixon (Royal Navy officer)|George Dixon]]'s Journal, 1788.]]
Prior to the [[Hawaiian Kingdom|unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii]] under [[Kamehameha I]], Ni{{okina}}ihau was ruled by the {{lang|haw|[[ali{{okina}}i]]}}. [[Kahelelani]] was the first of the Ni{{okina}}ihau ali{{okina}}i. His name is now used to refer to the ''Ni{{okina}}ihau kahelelani'', the puka shell of the [[Leptothyra verruca|wart turbans]] (''Leptothyra verruca''), used to make exquisite Ni{{okina}}ihau shell jewelry.{{sfn|Tava|Keale|1998|p=13}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Kam |first=Nadine |title=The real deal: Genuine Niihau shells have lasting quality |work=Features |publisher=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |date=May 17, 2004 |url=http://starbulletin.com/2004/05/17/features/story1.html |access-date=July 21, 2007 |archive-date=August 19, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819054938/http://starbulletin.com/2004/05/17/features/story1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Kā{{okina}}eokūlani]] was a ruler of northern Ni{{okina}}ihau who unified the island after defeating his rival, a chief named [[Kawaihoa]]. A stone wall ({{lang|haw|[[Papohaku|Pāpōhaku]]}}) across a quarter of the island's southern end marked the boundaries of the two chiefs: [[Kaeo|Kā{{okina}}eo]]'s land was identified by black stones and Kawaihoa's by white stones. Eventually, a great battle took place, known as [[Pali Kamakaui]]. Kā{{okina}}eo's two brothers from the island of [[Maui]], [[Ka{{okina}}iana]] and his half-brother [[Kahekili II]], the King of Maui, fought for Kā{{okina}}eo, and Ni{{okina}}ihau was united under his rule. Kawaihoa was banished to the south end of the island and Kā{{okina}}eo moved to the middle of the island to govern. Kā{{okina}}eo married the Queen [[Kamakahelei]], and a future king of Ni{{okina}}ihau and Kaua{{okina}}i named [[Kaumualii|Kaumuali{{okina}}i]] was born in 1790. [[Kauai|Kaua{{okina}}i]] and Ni{{okina}}ihau are said to have carried the "highest blood lines" in the Hawaiian Islands.{{sfn|Tava|Keale|1998|pp=13–14}}

Kamehameha managed to unify all of the islands by 1795, except for Kaua{{okina}}i and Ni{{okina}}ihau.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Coulter |first1=John Wesley |year=1964 |title=Great Britain in Hawaii: The Captain Cook Monument |journal=The Geographical Journal |volume=130 |issue=2 |pages=256–261 |doi=10.2307/1794586 |jstor=1794586 |bibcode=1964GeogJ.130..256C }}</ref> Two attempts to conquer those islands had failed, and Kamehameha lost many men: bodies covered the beaches on Kaua{{okina}}i's eastern shores.<ref name="Gay-1981">{{cite book |title=Tales of the forbidden island of Ni{{okina}}ihau |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=SRZSAQAAIAAJ|page=17}} |last1=Gay |first1=Lawrence Kainoahou |publisher=Topgallant Publishing |year=1981 |isbn=0-914916-43-2 |page=17}}</ref> Finally, in 1810, Kamehameha amassed a great fleet, and Kaumuali{{okina}}i, the last independent {{lang|haw|ali{{okina}}i}}, surrendered rather than risk further bloodshed. Independence again became feasible after Kamehameha's death in 1819, but was put down when Kamehameha's widow [[Ka{{okina}}ahumanu]] kidnapped Kaumuali{{okina}}i and forced him to marry her. Thereafter Ni{{okina}}ihau remained part of the unified [[Hawaiian Kingdom]].

[[File:Hawaiian Islands, Hale, Niihau, 1885, taken by Francis Sinclair.jpg|300px|thumb|A group of villagers at Pu{{okina}}uwai Beach settlement, Ni{{okina}}ihau in 1885. Photograph taken by Francis Sinclair, son of Elizabeth McHutchison Sinclair.]]
[[Elizabeth Sinclair|Elizabeth McHutchison Sinclair]] (1800–1892) purchased Ni{{okina}}ihau and parts of Kaua{{okina}}i from [[Kamehameha V]] in 1864 for {{US$|10,000|1864|round=-4|about=yes}} in gold. Sinclair chose Ni{{okina}}ihau over other options, including [[Waikiki|Waikīkī]] and [[Pearl Harbor]]. By around 1875, Ni{{okina}}ihau's population consisted of about 350 Native Hawaiians, with 20,000 [[sheep]].<ref name="Bird-1875">{{cite book |last1=Bird |first1=Isabella L. |author-link=Isabella Bird |title=The Hawaiian Archipelago |publisher=BiblioBazaar |year=2006 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=er-Y-eHjHpcC|page=212}} |isbn=1-4264-4990-9 |page=212}}</ref> This era marked the end of the art of Hawaiian mat-weaving made famous by the people of Ni{{okina}}ihau. {{lang|haw|Makaloa}} (''[[Cyperus laevigatus]]''), a native [[Cyperaceae|sedge]], used to grow on the edges of Ni{{okina}}ihau's three [[intermittent lake]]s.<ref name="Joesting-1988">{{Cite book |last1=Joesting |first1=Edward |title=Kauai: The Separate Kingdom |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=GfWj0Pt3cwoC|page=188}}|publisher=University of Hawaii |year=1988 |isbn=0-8248-1162-3 |page=188}}</ref> The stems were harvested and used to weave {{lang|haw|moena makaloa}} (mats), considered the "finest sleeping mats in [[Polynesia]]". The mats were valued by {{lang|haw|ali{{okina}}i}} and foreign visitors alike, but by the end of the 19th century, Hawaiians had stopped weaving {{lang|haw|makaloa}} due to changes in population, culture, economics, and the environment.<ref name="VanDyke-2001">{{cite web |last1=Van Dyke |first1=Peter |title=Growing Makaloa (''Cyperus laevigatus'' L. ) in Constructed Wetlands for Weaving and Treating Wastewater: Final report for U.S. Geological Survey Grant No. 99CRGR0003 |publisher=[[Bishop Museum]] |date=June 2001 |url=http://www.bishopmuseum.org/exhibits/greenwell/images/makaloa.pdf |access-date=August 14, 2007 |archive-date=June 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622171136/http://www.bishopmuseum.org/exhibits/greenwell/images/makaloa.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1915, Sinclair's grandson Aubrey Robinson closed the island to most visitors. Even relatives of the inhabitants could visit only by special permission. Upon Aubrey's death in 1939 the island passed to his son Aylmer, and in 1968 to Aylmer's youngest brother Lester. Upon Lester's wife Helen's death, the island passed to his sons Bruce Robinson and Keith Robinson, the current co-owners.<ref name="khon2009" /> (See [[Elizabeth Sinclair#Descendants|Sinclair-Robinson family tree]])

The Robinson family has attracted controversy over the strict rules they have imposed on the island’s inhabitants, largely enforced by Bruce Robinson’s wife, Leiana Robinson. The rules include a ban on alcohol and cigarettes, being prohibited from talking about Ni’ihau to the media, a permanent ban from the island if a resident leaves for an extended amount of time, and a ban on long hair and beards for men.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-03 |title=Hawaii’s Forbidden Island and the Real-Life Swiss Family Robinson who Controls it |url=https://www.messynessychic.com/2021/08/25/hawaiis-forbidden-island-and-the-real-life-swiss-family-robinson-who-controls-it/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Messy Nessy Chic |language=en-US}}</ref> The island lacks electricity and running water.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dive Niihau the Forbidden Island {{!}} Scuba in Kauai |url=https://seasportdivers.com/niihau/#:~:text=The%20dry%20climate%20is%20ideal,own%20food,%20hunting%20and%20fishing. |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=seasportdivers.com}}</ref>

==The Ni{{okina}}ihau Incident==
Ni{{okina}}ihau was the site of an event not long after the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] that has come to be known as the [[Niihau Incident|Ni{{okina}}ihau Incident]] (or the Battle of Ni{{okina}}ihau). On December 7, 1941, a [[Imperial Japan|Japanese]] pilot whose [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|Zero]] had been hit crash-landed<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/pacific-plane-wrecks-amazing-pictures-of-abandoned-wwii-planes.html/attachment/4789904038_81ca14b47a_b|title=War History Online|first=Joris|last=Nieuwint|access-date=November 11, 2016|archive-date=November 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111195649/https://m.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/pacific-plane-wrecks-amazing-pictures-of-abandoned-wwii-planes.html/attachment/4789904038_81ca14b47a_b|url-status=dead}}</ref> on the island hoping to rendezvous with a rescue submarine. The pilot was apprehended and later escaped with the assistance of local Japanese residents, but he was killed shortly afterwards.<ref>The Ni{{okina}}ihau Incident serves as the backdrop for [[Caroline Paul]]'s 2006 novel ''East Wind, Rain'' ({{ISBN|0-06-078075-4}}) and the opening chapter of [[Michelle Malkin]]'s ''[[In Defense of Internment]]''.</ref>

Despite its self-imposed isolation, Ni{{okina}}ihau has a long-standing relationship with the [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. military]] dating from 1924.<ref name="khon2009" /> There is a small [[United States Navy|Navy]] installation on the island. No military personnel are permanently stationed there, but the U.S. military has used the island for training [[United States Special Operations Command|special operations]] units, which included hiring Hawaiians who live on Ni{{okina}}ihau as "enemy" trackers.<ref name="sommer">Sommer, Anthony. [http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/05/14/news/story1.html "Niihau: Opening Up."] ''[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]''. May 14, 1999.</ref>

==Society==

===Politics===
{{See also|Politics of Hawaii}}
The island of Ni{{okina}}ihau was considered as a possible location for the [[United Nations]] headquarters in 1944 by [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], who had visited Hawaii in 1934.{{sfn|Tabrah|1987|p=1}} Under [[Cordell Hull]], Roosevelt's [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] seriously studied the proposal.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bemis |first=Samuel Flagg |author-link=Samuel Flagg Bemis |title=The Memoirs of Cordell Hull |journal=The Journal of Modern History |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=317–320 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |date=December 1949 |doi=10.1086/237294|s2cid=144530543 }}</ref>
{{PresHead|place=Niihau|whig=no|source1=<ref>{{Cite web|title=Results|url=https://elections.hawaii.gov/election-results/|access-date=2024-12-28|website=elections.hawaii.gov|language=en}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|22|1|0|Hawaii}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|43|0|0|Hawaii}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|20|10|4|Hawaii}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|27|29|5|Hawaii}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|35|4|1|Hawaii}}
{{PresFoot|2004|Republican|39|0|1|Hawaii}}
In 2004, President [[George W. Bush]] received all but one of the 40 votes cast on the island. The remaining vote was cast for [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]] nominee [[David Cobb (activist)|David Cobb]]. Fifty-one registered voters did not cast ballots.<ref>[http://www.hawaii.gov/elections/results/2004/general/precinct/16-09.pdf Hawaii 2004 election results for precinct 16-09]. Hawaii.gov. Retrieved April 21, 2006.</ref> In 2006, [[Dan Akaka]] received 60% of votes in the 2006 Senate election to [[Cynthia Thielen]]'s 36%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://elections.hawaii.gov/election-results/|title=General Election 2006 – State of Hawaii – Statewide Final Summary Report|date=November 7, 2006|access-date=June 1, 2018}}</ref> In 2008, Ni{{okina}}ihau's precinct was one of only three of Hawai{{okina}}i's 538 precincts to support [[John McCain]] over [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2008/general/files/histatewidedetail.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2008/general/files/histatewidedetail.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Office of Elections}}</ref>

===Population===
[[File:Niihau helicopter.jpg|thumb|260px|Navy contractors from [[Pacific Missile Range Facility|PMRF]] arrive at Paniau Ridge on Ni{{okina}}ihau in an [[AgustaWestland AW109|Agusta A109 helicopter]]. The seabird sanctuary island of [[Lehua]] can be seen in the background.]]
The 2010 census states that there were 170 people living on the island.<ref>{{cite web|title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data |url=http://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/census/Census_2010/demographic/demo_profile_ct_NI/2010dp_ct412.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026061033/http://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/census/Census_2010/demographic/demo_profile_ct_NI/2010dp_ct412.pdf |archive-date=2015-10-26 |url-status=live |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=April 24, 2017}}</ref> However, witness accounts estimate that the population actually ranges between 35 and 50 people.<ref>{{cite web |title=That's Just How I Rule |date=March 3, 2017 |publisher=This American Life, 2017 |url=https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/611/vague-and-confused?act=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.niihauheritage.org/niihau_today.htm|title=Ni'ihau Island Today – Learn about the Forbidden Island of Ni'ihau|date=November 17, 2020}}</ref> Some support themselves largely by subsistence fishing and farming, while others depend on [[Welfare (financial aid)#Welfare in the United States|welfare]].<ref name="crm">Langlas, Charles and Kehaulani Shintani. [http://crmjournal.cr.nps.gov/09_rwebsite_sub.cfm?issue=Volume%203%20Number%201%20Winter%202006&seq=8 "''Mälama ka ‘Äina: To Care For The Land''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223075113/http://crmjournal.cr.nps.gov/09_rwebsite_sub.cfm?issue=Volume%203%20Number%201%20Winter%202006&seq=8 |date=February 23, 2012 }} [review]. ''CRM: The Journal of Heritage Stewardship.'' Vol. 3 No. 1 (Winter 2006).</ref> All residents live rent-free, and meat is free.<ref name="khon2009" /> Ni{{okina}}ihau has no telephone services and no paved roads. Horses are the main form of transportation; bicycles are also used. There are no power lines; solar power provides all electricity. There is no plumbing or running water on the island. Water comes from [[rainwater catchment]]. The Robinson family established most of these conditions. There is no hotel, and barges deliver groceries from Kaua{{okina}}i, often purchased by relatives, with free shipping.<ref name="khon2009" />

Residents generally speak the [[Ni{{okina}}ihau dialect]] of [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] as their first language, in part encouraged by terms in the original purchase contract which obligated the new owners to help preserve Hawaiian culture and tradition. The Ni{{okina}}ihau [[dialect]] differs from modern standard Hawaiian in that, for example, {{IPA|[t]}} and {{IPA|[ɾ]}} are the most common [[allophone|realizations]] of the [[phonemes]] {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/l/}}, respectively.<ref name="khon2009" /> Ni{{okina}}ihau is the only island where Hawaiian is spoken as a primary language.<ref name="Olsen-2001">{{cite journal |last1=Olsen |first1=Eric P. |title=Paradise Preserved |journal=World & I |volume=16 |issue=10 |pages=108 |date=October 2001}}</ref> Oral tradition maintains that the Ni{{okina}}ihau dialect is closer to the Hawaiian register spoken during the time of contact with Europeans; there is linguistic evidence to support this claim, such as the pronunciation of k as {{IPA|/t/}}.<ref name="flame2016">{{cite web |last1=Hitt |first1=Catherine |title=Keepers of the Flame: How cultural practitioners are preserving Niihau's unique traditions |url=https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/keepers-of-the-flame-how-cultural-practitioners-are-preserving-niihaus-unique-traditions/ |website=Hawaii Magazine |access-date=November 8, 2021 |language=en |date=May 13, 2016}}</ref> English is the second language.

Some residents have radio and television sets, although limited reception effectively limits the latter to watching pre-recorded media.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/97/07/14/features/story3.html |title=Niihau: Island at a Crossroad |first=Catherine Kekoa |last=Enomoto |year=1997 |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin}}</ref> Ni{{okina}}ihau is subject to regular droughts that occasionally force the population to evacuate to Kaua{{okina}}i temporarily, until rainfall replenishes their water supply. Residents commonly also commute to Kaua{{okina}}i for work, medical care, or school, and many of them call both islands home. To avoid a long boat ride, the island's owners maintain an [[Agusta A109|Agusta A109 helicopter]] for emergencies and for transporting Navy contractors and residents to and from Kaua{{okina}}i. Helicopter tours and safaris help offset the costs of this service.<ref>{{cite web |title=Niihau – Hawaii's "Forbidden Island" |publisher=Kauai Visitor Magazine |url=http://www.visitormagazines.com/kauai/edit/ed-niihau-KV.html |access-date=June 19, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230130945/http://www.visitormagazines.com/kauai/edit/ed-niihau-KV.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=December 30, 2006}}</ref>

A form of [[ipu]] art is known to have developed solely on the island of Ni{{okina}}ihau.<ref name="Crites">{{cite journal |url=http://www.hanahou.com/pages/Magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=611&MagazineID=39 |title=The Ipu Guy |first=Jennifer |last=Crites |journal=[[Hana Hou!]] |volume=10 |issue=5 |date=October–November 2007 |access-date=October 18, 2007 |quote=This method developed <nowiki>[</nowiki>circa [[Anno Domini|AD]] 1600<nowiki>]</nowiki> only on Ni{{okina}}ihau – nowhere else in the world – and then vanished at the end of the 19th century," explains Harburg. "It was lost until Dr. Bruce Ka{{okina}}imiloa Chrisman figured out how it was done.}}</ref><ref name="Bordessa">{{cite journal |url=http://www.craftzine-digital.com/craft/vol04/?pg=30&liid=659d5683f1 |title=The Lost Ipu Art of Ni{{okina}}ihau |first=Kris |last=Bordessa |journal=[[Craft (American magazine)|Craft:]] |volume=4 |year=2007 |access-date=October 18, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204030000/http://www.craftzine-digital.com/craft/vol04/?pg=30&liid=659d5683f1 |archive-date=December 4, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In this method, after a design is carved in the skin of a fresh [[gourd]], it is filled with [[dye]] which, after several weeks, changes the color of the uncarved portions of the surface where the skin is intact. [[Hawaiian music]] plays a central role on the island, with [[a cappella]] singers making use of only two or three tones and changing rhythms. [[Ukulele]] and guitar playing is nearly ubiquitous among the islanders, and there are three separate styles of [[Slack-key guitar|slack-key]] music, with an older style originating from [[Kohala, Hawaii|Kohala]].{{sfn|Tava|Keale|1998|p=105}}

===Education===
The [[Hawaii Department of Education]] operates the [[Ni'ihau High and Elementary School|Ni{{okina}}ihau School]], a K–12 school. Academic subjects and computer literacy are combined with teaching students to "thrive from the land".<ref name="khon2009">{{cite web |last=Mangieri |first=Gina |title=Niihau: Past, Present and Future |publisher=[[KHON-TV]] (report with video) |medium=Television production |date=June 22, 2009 |url=http://www.khon2.com/content/news/niihauexclusive/story/Niihau-Past-Present-and-Future/B7JzKk34G0uf4my5mmCBRQ.cspx |quote=Partial transcript/monograph online in 12 parts |access-date=July 6, 2010 |archive-date=June 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616212053/http://www.khon2.com/content/news/niihauexclusive/story/Niihau-Past-Present-and-Future/B7JzKk34G0uf4my5mmCBRQ.cspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> The school is powered entirely by [[solar power]].<ref name="Gehrlein-2007">{{cite news |last=Gehrlein |first=Rachel |date=December 15, 2007 |title=Ni{{okina}}ihau school first in state on solar power |newspaper=The Garden Island |url=http://thegardenisland.com/news/article_ea0d5db0-43b9-530f-8785-3230bd446f30.html |access-date=February 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301074228/http://thegardenisland.com/news/article_ea0d5db0-43b9-530f-8785-3230bd446f30.html |archive-date=March 1, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The number of students varies from 25 to 50 since families often travel between Ni{{okina}}ihau and Kaua{{okina}}i.<ref>{{cite web |author=Hawaii State Department of Education |url=http://power2.k12.hi.us/index.cfm?siteID=277 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120726212822/http://power2.k12.hi.us/index.cfm?siteID=277 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 26, 2012 |title=Ni{{okina}}ihau School }}</ref> Schoolchildren may stay with relatives in west Kaua{{okina}}i, where they attend one of two Ni{{okina}}ihau-focused public [[charter school]]s. At the [[Niihau School of Kekaha|Ke Kula Ni{{okina}}ihau o Kekaha school]], students speak primarily the Ni{{okina}}ihau dialect through the early elementary grades, and then [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] and English through grade 12. The school has a digital recording and video system, which helps to preserve and teach traditional Ni{{okina}}ihau and Hawaiian culture. At the other west Kaua{{okina}}i school, Kula Aupuni Ni{{okina}}ihau a Kahelelani Aloha (KANAKA), English is used in all grades, while still supporting the Ni{{okina}}ihau dialect. Both schools foster the culture, values, and spirituality of Ni{{okina}}ihau.<ref name="khon2009" /> Efforts to establish KANAKA began in 1993 and its current version was established in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://content.schoolinsites.com/api/documents/030f931902af4ce5ab5876f03f6dc046.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://content.schoolinsites.com/api/documents/030f931902af4ce5ab5876f03f6dc046.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Bilingual Education At KANAKA|access-date=June 13, 2021}}</ref>

==Economy==
Approximately 80% of Ni{{okina}}ihau's income comes from a small [[United States Navy|Navy]] installation atop 1,300-foot-high cliffs. Remote-controlled tracking devices are used for testing and training with Kaua'i's [[Pacific Missile Range Facility]]. Modern missile defense tests are conducted at the site for the U.S. and its allies. The installation brings in millions of dollars a year, and provides the island with a stable economic base without the complexity of tourism or industrial development.<ref name="khon2009" />

The sale of shells and shell jewelry is an additional source of income.{{sfn|Tava|Keale|1998|pp=36–37}} Its beaches are known for their ''pūpū'', tiny shells that wash onto shore during winter months. Species used for shell leis includes ''momi'' (''[[Euplica varians]]''), ''laiki'' or rice shells (''[[Mitrella margarita]]'') and ''kahelelani'' (''[[Leptothyra verruca]]'').<ref name="moriarty">{{cite book |last=Moriarty |first=Linda Paik |title=Ni{{okina}}ihau Shell Leis |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=LY8dldokp9EC}}|publisher=[[University of Hawaii Press]] |year=1986 |isbn=0-8248-0998-X}}</ref> The shells and jewelry are so popular that Governor [[Linda Lingle]] signed a bill in 2004 to protect ''lei pūpū o Ni{{okina}}ihau'' (Ni{{okina}}ihau shell leis) from counterfeiting.<ref>
[http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2004/bills/HB2569_sd1_.htm H.B. No. 2569]. See also: {{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2004/05/24/daily76.html | title=Governor signs Niihau shell bill | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=May 24, 2004}}</ref> A single, intricate Ni{{okina}}ihau shell lei can sell for thousands of dollars.<ref name="khon2009" />

[[File:Niihau-Trash-Beach.jpg|thumb|Trash deposited by the ocean on a windward Ni{{okina}}ihau beach]]Many residents of Ni{{okina}}ihau were once employees of Ni{{okina}}ihau Ranch, farming cattle and sheep until the Robinsons shut down the operation in 1999. It had not been profitable for most of the 20th century.{{Citation needed |date=July 2009}} [[Honey]] cultivation{{sfn|Tava|Keale|1998|p=xv}} was also no longer viable by 1999.<ref name="sommer" /> [[Kiawe]] [[charcoal]] was once a large-scale export, but aggressive [[Mexico|Mexican]] price competition ended that as well.<ref name="khon2009" /> [[Flathead mullet|Mullet]] farming has been popular on Ni{{okina}}ihau, with ponds and lakes stocked with baby mullet, which reach {{convert|9|-|10|lb|kg}} apiece before being harvested and sold on [[Kauai|Kaua{{okina}}i]] and [[Oahu|O{{okina}}ahu]].{{sfn|Tava|Keale|1998|pp=66–67}}

Bruce Robinson, Ni{{okina}}ihau's co-owner, is seeking and considering new forms of non-invasive income generation. Depending on feasibility, impact, and [[ecological footprint]] on the ecosystem and culture, possibilities include [[JP-8]] (jet fuel) generation by the [[lignocellulose]] process; military, including a possible runway; and [[windmill]] energy production. Robinson has declined offers to purchase [[sand]] from Ni{{okina}}ihau's beaches, because of adverse environmental effects.<ref name="khon2009" />

===Tourism===
Ni{{okina}}ihau's owners have offered half-day helicopter and beach tours of the island since 1987,<ref>{{cite news |title=Flying visitors can catch glimpse of "The Forbidden Isle" |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=August 15, 1987}}</ref> although contact with residents is avoided and no accommodation exists.<ref name="owners">{{Cite web |url=http://65.61.16.97/Niihau/Index.asp |title=Niihau Island |access-date=July 24, 2009 |archive-date=December 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201180628/http://65.61.16.97/Niihau/Index.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since 1992,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.boston.com/travel/travel/2012/11/17/niihau-hawaiis-forbidden-island-is-closed-to-outsiders | title=Niihau, Hawaii's 'Forbidden Island,' is closed to outsiders | work=[[The Boston Globe]] | date=November 17, 2012}}</ref> [[Big-game hunter|hunting]] [[safari]]s provide income from tourists who pay to visit the island to hunt [[Taurotragus|eland]], [[aoudad]], and [[oryx]], as well as wild [[sheep]] and [[boar]]s. Any meat the hunters do not take with them is given to the village.

==In popular culture==
* The [[Ni{{okina}}ihau Incident]] is portrayed in the 2019 film ''Enemy Within''.<ref name="hawaiinewsnow.com 2019 r596">{{cite web |title=Controversial film about Native Hawaiian war hero set for release |website=hawaiinewsnow.com |date=2019-04-02 |url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/04/02/controversial-film-about-native-hawaiian-war-hero-set-release/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402235636/https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/04/02/controversial-film-about-native-hawaiian-war-hero-set-release/ |archive-date=2019-04-02 |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-25}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{refbegin|colwidth=60em}}
* {{cite book
 |last=Beekman
 |first=Allan
 |author-link=Allan Beekman
 |title=The Niihau Incident
 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=fFhUAAAACAAJ}}
 |publisher=Heritage Press of Pacific
 |year=1995
 |location=Honolulu, HI
 |isbn=0-9609132-0-3
 |orig-year=1982
 }}
*{{cite journal
 |last=Fisher |first=Harvey I.
 |title=The Avifauna of Niihau Island, Hawaiian Archipelago
|doi-access=free
 |jstor=1364585
 |journal=[[The Condor (journal)|The Condor]]
 |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=31–42
 |publisher=[[Cooper Ornithological Society]]
 |date=Jan–Feb 1951
 |issn=0010-5422
 |doi=10.2307/1364585}}
*{{cite book
 |last=Macdonald
 |first=Gordon A.
 |author2=Agatin T. Abbott
 |author3=Frank L. Peterson
 |title=Volcanoes in the Sea: The Geology of Hawaii
 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=IuADTBNksO0C}}
 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press
 |edition=2nd
 |orig-year=1970
 |year=1983
 |location=Honolulu
 |isbn=0-8248-0832-0
 }}
*{{cite journal
 |last=Mitchell
 |first=C.
 |author2=C. Ogura
 |author3=D.W. Meadows
 |author4=A. Kane
 |author5=L. Strommer
 |author6=S. Fretz
 |author7=D. Leonard
 |author8=A. McClung
 |title= Chapter 6: Island Conservation Needs – Ni{{okina}}ihau
|journal=Hawaii's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy
 |version=Final
 |publisher=Department of Land and Natural Resources
 |date=October 1, 2005
 |url=http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/cwcs/files/NAAT%20final%20CWCS/Chapters/CHAPTER%206%20Niihau%20NAAT%20final%20!.pdf
 |access-date=March 23, 2009
 |archive-date=June 16, 2011
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616064620/http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/cwcs/files/NAAT%20final%20CWCS/Chapters/CHAPTER%206%20Niihau%20NAAT%20final%20!.pdf
 |url-status=dead
 }}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Morgan |first1=Joseph R.
 |title=Hawai'i: A Unique Geography
 |contribution=Kaua'i and Ni'ihau
 |publisher=The Bess Press
 |year=1996 |isbn=1-57306-021-6}}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Nordyke
 |first1=Eleanor C.
 |title=The Peopling of Hawai{{okina}}i
 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=jRq09rgP_HYC}}
 |publisher=[[University of Hawaii Press]]
 |year=1989
 |isbn=0-8248-1191-7
 }}
*{{cite book
<!-- |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=nCA0UuGlJG8C|page=99}}-->
 |title=State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide
 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=j1UYAAAAIAAJ}}
 |first=Barbara Smith
 |last=Shearer
 |edition=3
 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group
 |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31534-3 }}
*{{cite news
 |last=Sommer
 |first=Anthony
 |title=Niihau: Opening Up
 |work=News
 |publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin
 |date=May 14, 1999
 |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/05/14/news/story1.html
 |access-date=July 23, 2009
 }}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Tabrah |first1=Ruth M.
 |author-link = Ruth Tabrah
 |title=Ni{{okina}}ihau, the last Hawaiian island
 |publisher=Press Pacifica
 |year=1987 |isbn=0-916630-59-5 }}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Tava
 |first1=Rerioterai
 |last2=Keale
 |first2=Moses K.
 |title=Niihau, the traditions of a Hawaiian island
 |publisher=Mutual Publishing
 |year=1998
 |url=http://www.mutualpublishing.com/bookinfo.aspx?bookID=242
 |isbn=0-935180-80-X
 |access-date=October 6, 2007
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524120258/http://www.mutualpublishing.com/bookinfo.aspx?bookID=242
 |archive-date=May 24, 2013
 |url-status=dead
 }}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Wichman
 |first1=Juliet Rice
 |author1-link=Juliet Rice Wichman
 |last2=St. John
 |first2=Harold
 |title=A Chronicle and Flora of Niihau
 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=pRomAQAAMAAJA}}
 |publisher=National Tropical Botanical Garden
 |year=1990
 |isbn=0-915809-14-1
 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{commons}}
*{{cite journal |last=Barnhart |first=Sky |title=The Flowers of Niihau |journal=[[Maui Nō Ka {{okina}}Oi Magazine]] |volume=12 |issue=4 |date=July 2008 |url=http://www.mauimagazine.net/Maui-Magazine/July-August-2008/The-Flowers-of-Niihau/ |access-date=August 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723205055/http://www.mauimagazine.net/Maui-Magazine/July-August-2008/The-Flowers-of-Niihau/ |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite book |last=Clark |first=John R. K. |title=Beaches of Kaua{{okina}}i and Ni{{okina}}ihau |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=1990 |location=Honolulu, Hawaii |pages=79–102 |isbn=0-8248-1260-3}}
*{{cite journal |last=Conover |first=Adele |author2=Gary Braasch |title=A Onetime Rancher Wages Lonely War to Save Rare Plants |journal=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] |volume=27 |issue=8 |page=114 |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |date=November 1996}}
*{{cite journal |last=Daws |first=Gavan |author-link=Gavan Daws |author2=Timothy Heap |title=Niihau a shoal of time |journal=[[American Heritage (magazine)|American Heritage]] |volume=14 |issue=6 |publisher=American Heritage Publishing Company |date=October 1962 |url=http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1963/6/1963_6_48.shtml |access-date=May 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219195340/http://americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1963/6/1963_6_48.shtml |archive-date=February 19, 2009 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite journal |last=Laracy |first=Hugh |date=September 2001 |title=The Sinclairs of Pigeon Bay and the Romantic 'Pre-history' of the Robinsons of Ni{{okina}}ihau |journal=Journal of Pacific History |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=183–199 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.1080/00223340120075560|s2cid=162334677 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Licayan |first1=Emalia |last2=Nizo |first2=Virginia |last3=Kanahele |first3=Elama |editor1-last=Kanahele |editor1-first=Elama |editor2-last=Armitage |editor2-first=Kimo |editor3-last=NeSmith |editor3-first=Keao |title=Aloha Niihau: Oral Histories |publisher=Island Heritage Publishing |year=2007 |location=Waipahu, Hawaii |isbn=978-1-59700-209-7}}
*{{cite journal |last=May |first=Ernest R |title=They Never Leave This Real Shangri-La |volume=219 |issue=18 |pages=28–67 |journal=[[The Saturday Evening Post]] |date=November 2, 1946 |issn=0048-9239}}
*{{Cite journal |last=Meyer |first=Philip A. |year=1998 |title=Niihau – Present Circumstances and Future Requirement in an Evolving Hawaiian Community |place=Ni'ihau, Hawai'i |publisher=Hoomana Ia Iesu Church}}
*{{cite book |last=Paul |first=Caroline |title=East Wind, Rain |publisher=Harper Perennial |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-06-078076-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/eastwindrain00caro }}
*{{cite book |last=Stepien |first=Edward R. |year=1988 |orig-year=1984 |volume=1 |title=Ni{{okina}}ihau, A Brief History |hdl=10125/15544 |location=Honolulu |publisher=Center for Pacific Islands Studies, School of Hawaiian, Asian, & Pacific Studies, [[University of Hawaii at Manoa]] |pages=1–268}}

{{Hawaii}}
{{Kauai County, Hawaii}}
{{Hawaiian volcanism}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Niihau}}
[[Category:Niihau| ]]
[[Category:Islands of Hawaii]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of Hawaii]]
[[Category:Geography of Kauai County, Hawaii]]
[[Category:Extinct volcanoes of the United States]]
[[Category:Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain]]
[[Category:Private islands of the United States]]
[[Category:Pliocene volcanoes]]
[[Category:Neogene Oceania]]
[[Category:Cenozoic Hawaii]]
[[Category:Private islands of Oceania]]