According to one former resident, Niihau men aren’t allowed to have long hair or wear earrings, and on Sundays, the entire village is expected to go to church. (Island owner) Bruce Robinson “really loves these people. We maintain the island for the people and continue to work it as he had.”. Then, read about the tumultuous life of the legendary lifeguard, Eddie Aikau, who needed saving of his own. “We’ve tried to maintain the request of the King when it was turned over. In fact, Niihau’s school is the only one in the country to be powered exclusively on sunlight. A group of villagers at Puʻuwai Beach settlement, Niʻihau in 1885. But in 1999, the Robinsons closed the ranch when it was admitted that no profit was made from cattle and sheep ranching, processing of charcoal and honey on the island. We take care of our elderlies. Most of that land that isn't too steep has been used for cane, the rest is forest. Their sons, Keith and Bruce Robinson, inherited the remainder, and have been sole owners of Niihau since their mother passed away in 2002. On Niihau, he told lawmakers in 2013, there's " a feeling of inner peace and renewal that we don't understand in the outside world. CORRECTION: This was updated to show that missionaries came to Hawaii decades (not centuries, as previously stated) before Niihau was purchased. ''Niihau is yours,” Kamehameha IV said when he signed the contract, according to the New York Times. Photograph taken by Francis Sinclair, son of … Records show that his brother, Kamehameha V, completed the transaction on January 23, 1864.). There are an estimated 70 permanent residents on the island, although that number fluctuates as Niihauans move away or return to the islands. Kauai boat tours offer day-long snorkeling and dive packages, while the Robinsons offer guided tours, hunting safaris, and helicopter trips to remote parts of the island. Since Burns’ passing, the island’s current co-owners, brothers Keith and Bruce Robinson, continue to argue with Hawaiian authorities over their efforts to maintain Niihauan traditions. Sinclair's grandson, Aubrey Robinson, closed Niihau to visitors in 1915, and his grandsons, Keith and Bruce Robinson, the current co-owners, have … He attended the University of California Davis, graduating with a degree in agronomy and ranch management. "We live off the land. But "the old folks over there, they can't go beach 'cause they growing old," he added. The Western culture has lost it and the rest of the islands have lost it. The 2011 report lists Aylmer Robinson as the owner of Niihau, although he left it to his brother's family when he died in 1967, and nephews Bruce … It’s becoming evident that tourist dollars are required to keep the island economy afloat, which means that the “Forbidden Island” is more accessible than the name suggests. ", "There are stories that have been generated of captives living out here," Robinson added. A group of Niihauan villagers in 1885, taken by Francis Sinclair, son of Elizabeth Sinclair. Comprising part of Kauai County, Ni’ihau has remained largely untouched since its earliest days of occupation. Now owned by Sinclair’s great-grandsons, Bruce and Keith Robinson, the family that purchased it ardently believes that they’re fulfilling the monarchy’s wish by barring outsiders. The Robinsons' tours help support Niihau, but purposely avoid contact with the locals and keep the island's village out of sight, in order to protect the Niihauans' privacy. After this glimpse into Niihau, Hawaii’s “Forbidden Island,” check out Snake Island, the Brazilian isle on which humans are forbidden (for obvious reasons). Niihau has since taken up a relationship with the U.S. military, which actually began in World War II when a Japanese fighter pilot crash-landed on the island only to be killed by the Niihauans. Weekly supplies to the island are either brought in by the Robinsons or by the Niihauans themselves when they visit Kauai, the nearest Hawaiian island. The half-day guided tour takes guests on an aerial tour, then to a remote beach for lunch and snorkeling. ©2021 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Niihau: Hawaii’s “Forbidden Island” Without Paved Roads, Plumbing, Or Police. However, Niihau has a rich history, diverse wildlife, and interesting traditions, so it’s worth a peek if you can find your way there. Despite the encroaching outside world, Hawaii’s “Forbidden Island” maintains a lifestyle from a bygone era. Natives also fashioned Niihau shell lei for luxurious jewelry. In 1969, the Milwaukee Journal called Niihau a “Puritan paradise,” because of the religious culture impressed upon the Niihauans by the Robinsons -- a family of “strict Scots Presbyterians,” according to the Journal -- and the missionaries that came to Niihau decades before it was purchased. Its area is . If you’ve ever visited the Hawaiian islands, you may already know that one of them, Niihau, west of Kauai, is off-limits to outsiders. "Life is good over there," he told HuffPost. He is also second in command for the Gay & Robinson sugar plantation and a principal with Niihau Helicopter Inc. Even charcoal is dead," said ranch manager Bruce Robinson. He is married to a Niihauan and has, by two marriages, six children ranging in age from toddler to 20-something. The “Forbidden Island” is also not an untouched pre-colonial world. See Sinclair-Robinson family tree ) Niʻihau played a small role during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. They know all about it. "People who can't get out to the cities. When Niihau was purchased by the Sinclair family in the 1860s, the island’s inhabitants -- known as Niihauans -- were allowed to stay, but access to the island by outsiders (including anyone from another Hawaiian island) was restricted. Niihau remains something of a living fossil — a glimpse into what life in the islands might look like if, over the centuries, the rest of Hawaii just stood still. When that day comes, please do what you can to help them. Guns and alcohol were and are prohibited, and according to a former resident, men aren’t allowed to grow long hair or wear earrings. It is estimated that only 70 permanent residents remain, which is a considerable reduction since the last census in 2010 put the total at 170. The Western culture has lost it and the rest of the islands have lost it. When that day comes, please do what you can to help them.”. To pass the time, Niihauans go to the beach or watch pre-downloaded movies on iPads, but, like any other small town, people get bored. One might think that this isolation and stringent lifestyle would breed a reclusive nation. Island owner Bruce Robinson claims that Niihau’s way of life is meant to preserve “a feeling of inner peace and renewal that we don’t understand in the outside world. Sleepy Hawaiian monk seals dot the coast and schools of sharks have been known to swim remarkably close to empty shores. Yet great-grandson Keith Robinson reported that visits were actually officially curtailed in the 1930s to protect indigenous Niihauans from contracting foreign diseases, such as measles or polio. Today, the unemployment rate on Niihau is 100 percent. Although Niihauans can hop on a barge owned by the Robinsons to go grocery shopping on the island of Kauai, they rely heavily on fishing and hunting to feed the village. The island is currently managed by brothers Bruce Robinson and Keith Robinson. But the day may come when Hawaiians are not as strong in Hawaii as they are now. We’re here today for that fulfillment of that promise.” Today the forbidden island is the only place where native Hawaiian is the most-used language. The permit is necessary because of zoning regulations. "[Niihau] is isolated for the rest of us, but it's not an isolated island for them," Young added. The younger generations are also required to care for their elders. As Bruce Robinson, the current owner of the island says. If there are any problems on the island they go to the ‘Elders for help resolving it’ and if they can’t resolve it, they hand it over to Keith and Bruce Robinson, the eldest Robinson’s. “My great-grandmother purchased the island from the monarchy and it’s been virtually unchanged since that date by my family,” Bruce Robinson, the great-grandson of Eliza Sinclair, reported. Besides a unique culture, Niihau is also home to a host of endangered species. Former Hawaiian governor John Burns campaigned until his death in 1972 to have the Robinsons evicted, the island turned into a state park, and in the process “help” the native Niihauans to join civilization. The island's small population fluctuates as Niihauans travel or move off the island. “While it is an ancient type of culture, they’re a very modern type of people,” Bruce Robinson said of the Niihauans. Bruce Robinson "really loves these people. '', (The Niihau Cultural Heritage Foundation reports that Kamehameha IV agreed to sell the land, but died in 1863. Niihau - Sinclair-Robinson Family Tree. Sinclair-Robinson Family Tree. Lester Robinson was a … In fact, every person on Niihau has been to the mainland. "People leave the island all the time," Peter T. Young, Hawaii's former Department of Land and Natural Resources director and Hawaii historian, told HuffPost. There is no indoor plumbing, no cars, no stores, no internet, and no paved roads. Technology for the DEW [Distant Early Warning] Line was developed secretly [during the Cold War era] on Niihaua.”. Since the closure of the ranch in 1999, job opportunities are scarce outside of fashioning jewelry or working at the school. To this day, only Niihauans, the Robinsons (the descendants of the title-holding family), and the occasional invited guest are allowed there (or near the dozens of homes in the island’s only settlement, Puuwai). Keith Robinson added that today: “We’re doing national defense work that’s critical to our country. Ranches in Kalaheo, HI. Currently co-owned by her grandsons Keith and Bruce Robinson, the family has upheld this commitment over the years as the island’s ownership continues to be passed down through generations. Credit: Matthew Micah Wright/Getty Images, purchased by the Sinclair family in the 1860s. Christian missionaries had even converted many of the Niihauans 40 years before the Sinclairs arrived in the 1860s. The island is the primary habitat and nursery for the species. This organization is not BBB accredited. Sinclair and her descendants, the Robinsons, have done their best to honor the king’s request. Upon Lester's wife Helen's death, the island passed to his sons Bruce Robinson and Keith Robinson, the current co-owners. Robinson’s dedication to Niihau is evident by his concern for the island. King Kamehameha IV had actually offered Sinclair better real estate, which included an area from downtown Honolulu to Diamond Head in Waikiki, but Sinclair saw the island as a lush alternative for her large family since they had relocated from New Zealand. Encompassing more than 840 acres of land, Lake Halalii is … They rejected the colonization of the Hawaiian islands by westerners, especially when in 1893 the Americans ousted the indigenous monarchy and banned the Hawaiian language. The Niihauans who remain on the island today live mostly as their Native Hawaiian ancestors did, with hunting and fishing taking up the majority of their days. The outside world has crept in over the years. That is totally false. His motto is always, ‘It has to be good for the people in Niihau. If it's good for them and the ranch, which is the business, we'll consider doing it.' If you want to get on shore, the Robinsons offer extremely guided tours and hunting safaris, ferrying curious tourists on their private helicopter from Kauai to remote parts of Niihau. On Niihau, he told lawmakers in 2013, there's "a feeling of inner peace and renewal that we don't understand in the outside world. In the decades that followed, the Robinsons battled to keep the island out of state control. Today, only part-time work is offered to a few with local tourism and a small U.S. Navy installation. The island was purchased from King Kamehameha V in 1864 by Elizabeth McHutchison Sinclair for the amount of $10,000 in gold. Part of HuffPost Travel. For Bruce Robinson -- who's married to a Niihauan woman -- maintaining Niihau's unique culture and way of life is a priority. “Over a hundred years ago, a king asked our family to take care of the people. There are, however, a few sanctioned ways to see Niihau. But Peter T. Young, the former director of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaiian historian notes that the “people leave the island all the time.”. Residents travel by bicycles or foot and they don’t pay rent. Source: Read Full Article. In 1864, King Kamehameha V sold the island of Niihau to the Robinsons' ancestors, the Sinclair family, for $10,000 worth of gold and, according to some accounts, a requirement that the family would promise to preserve the Native Hawaiian language and Niihau’s unique way of life. The following is an article from the newest volume of the Bathroom Reader series, Uncle John's 24-Karat Bathroom Reader. Though this effort was retroactive as 11 Niihauan children had already died from such diseases. When the sun sets over Kauai's Kekaha Beach on an especially clear night, a tall, silhouetted tract of land emerges west of the Hawaiian islands, toward the horizon. "They don't look any different, they don't act any different," they just "have the opportunity to live in a place that the rest of us have a very limited opportunity to see. Bruce Robinson, who runs the Niihau ranch, is seeking a permit to allow helicopter landings on Niihau. It's known as "The Forbidden Island" in Hawaii, and the nickname isn't an exaggeration. There’s “a feeling of inner peace and renewal that we don’t understand in the outside world,” Bruce Robinson told lawmakers in 2013, “The Western culture has lost it and the rest of the islands have lost it. Kamehameha IV reportedly had one request for Sinclair: “Niihau is yours. “But the day may come when Hawaiians are not as strong in Hawaii as they are now. In 2013, a group of residents discovered trespassers fishing on their shoreline; they used a digital camera to record the intruders, and presented the footage to lawmakers, asking for help with protecting their resources. Elderlies are the main thing in life.". On Kauai most of the Robinson land is one huge tract bigger than Niihau extending from Waimea to Hanapepe, anf from the shore to the center of the island. Day-long hunting trips can cost more than $1,700 a person, but give slightly more access to the island. For five generations, every man in Niihau's small native Hawaiian community could depend on full employment on the ranch and believed all of their babies (the boys at least) would grow up to be cowboys. “All those rules came from the old timers, so we just take care of that,” Wehi Kaaumoana, a 34-year-old Niihauan, told The Huffington Post. The Niihau Cultural Heritage Foundation says that number can drop to below 30 during the summer months as people travel for pleasure or work. The 2010 census listed its population at 170, but since the Robinsons are not required to submit population estimates, the current number of permanent residents are unknown. "When we go out and fish and hunt and give them food like that, they happy. Years of grazing by cattle, goats, wild pigs and horses has caused serious environmental damage. It’s beautiful there.". The Robinson Family, which owns the island of Niihau, has strict rules and requires everyone who lives on the island to do the same. Serial Killer Gary Heidnik: The Real-Life Buffalo Bill Who Fed One Of His Victims To His Prisoners, 21 Devastating Photos Of India's Accelerating Human-Elephant Conflict, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. After college, he served in the US Army before returning to Hawaii, where he initially worked at the Koolau Ranch on Kauaʻi seven years and then operated a commercial fishing vessel on Kauaʻi for another seven years. Many residents are bilingual — especially the children — and speak English almost as well as their Niihau dialect. The Sinclairs were strict Calvinists and required the Niihauans attend church on Sundays. Generators provide the little electricity used in the homes in Pu’uwai, the island’s largest settlement, while the school’s electricity is derived from solar power, primarily so students can use computers. Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. The Robinsons vow to do all they can to preserve this native history. 1941) Bruce Robinson: Read more about this topic: Niihau. The most notable is the Hawaiian monk seal, which is considered the most endangered of all the world’s seals. The only place it’s left is on Niihau.”. Kaaumoana, who has become used to modern life on Kauai, would agree. Robinson was born c. 1941 to Lester Beauclerk Robinson (1901–1969) and Helen Matthew Robinson (1910–2002). Photo courtesy of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. sold the island of Niihau to the Robinsons' ancestors, the Sinclair family, Native Hawaiian language and Niihau’s unique way of life, We've tried to maintain the request of the King when it was turned over, because of efforts by the island’s only school, the Milwaukee Journal called Niihau a “Puritan paradise,”, can drop to below 30 during the summer months as people travel, day-long snorkel and dive trips to the Lehua Crater. Kaaumoana, for example, moved off the island in his mid-20s to find work on Kauai. A single family has owned the island for more than 150 years and -- even though it's only 17 miles from resort-lined Kauai -- Niihau remains surprisingly insulated from the outside world. The U.S. military has also been an important source of income for the island and for decades has run special operation training programs and even research and development of top-secret military defense systems there. The main reason for the exodus is unemployment. Here’s the story of how that came to be, and what life on the island is like today. They speak mainly Native Hawaiian, but, because of efforts by the island’s only school and Niihauans access to other islands, some residents also know English. If not obeyed, the family was given the right to evict native Niihauans from the island altogether. Ownership of the island has stayed within the same bloodline ever since and access to the 70-square-mile island has remained extremely restricted. Alcohol and guns are not allowed on the island and, according to the New York Times, anyone caught breaking the rules can be evicted. Francis W. Sinclair (1797-1846) Elizabeth McHutchison (1800–1892) Charles B. Robinson: Helen Sinclair: Jane Sinclair (d. 1916) Thomas Gay ... Keith Robinson (b. It’s Home To The Largest Lake In Hawaii. Residents come and go as they please, but over recent years more relocate to Kauai or further afield. ", The perceived mystery of life on the "Forbidden Island" has generated speculation over the years, but Bruce Robinson told ABC News that, "While it is an ancient type of culture, they're a very modern type of people. An essential daily guide to achieving the good life. Since Burns’ passing, the island’s current co-owners, brothers Keith and Bruce Robinson, continue to argue with Hawaiian authorities over their efforts to maintain Niihauan traditions. Just 17 miles from the coastline of Kauai, Hawaii boasts a historic restricted area: the small, 70-square-mile island of Niihau, also known as the “Forbidden Island.”. Niihauans are fiercely protective of their island. The families that supplement their income with traditional lei making can sell a piece for thousands, but access to these Niihau shells has become scarce. Kauai tour boats offer a tiny morsel of Niihau's pristine waters by offering day-long snorkel and dive trips to the Lehua Crater, a volcanic cone that sits north of Niihau island. Those promises afforded Niihauans a luxury that most modern travelers search the world for: A truly secluded and untouched island. "We've tried to maintain the request of the King when it was turned over," Bruce Robinson, one of two brothers who owns the island, told ABC News in 2010. Keith Robinson is an American environmentalist who is the co-owner of Niʻihau, the second-smallest of the eight principal Hawaiian Islands. For most of the state’s residents, that’s the only way to see the island of Niihau. In 1864, Kamehameha V (the successor of Kamehameh IV) finalized the sale of Niihau Island to Eliza Sinclair. Since 1864, guaranteed full-time work for the inhabitants was supplied by the Niihau Ranch. That's all we have," Kaaumoana said. A rare special visit to Niihau Island by Alan Lloyd as a guest of the Robinson Owner. Most of the Niihauan’s day-to-day is taken up by fishing and hunting. The island owner, Bruce Robinson, says, “The tours are solely for people to come and see an unspoiled Hawaiian Island […] We will not take [tourists] to the village or put the residents into … Accounts vary on exactly when Niihau became the “Forbidden Island.” By one account, Sinclair descendant Aubrey Robinson stopped outsiders, including relatives of native Niihauans, from reaching the island in 1915. Time has almost stood still on Niihau. They’re also expected to abide by rules set by both the Robinson's and the village’s earlier generations. Because the Sinclair’s abided by a strict Calvinist lifestyle, it follows that the island itself has many rules. The Western culture has lost it and the rest of the islands have lost it. Since Burns’ passing, the island’s current co-owners, brothers Keith and Bruce Robinson, continue to argue with Hawaiian authorities over their efforts to maintain Niihauan traditions. Its sandy beaches see more wildlife than human footprints. Others claim that Sen. Hee and his friends were given “free reign” to hunt and fish on Niihau in exchange for supporting a no-fishing law. The only place it's left is on Ni'ihau.". Niihau (Hawaiian: ) anglicized as Niihau ( ) is the westernmost main and seventh largest inhabited island in Hawaii.It is southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. See BBB rating, reviews, complaints, & more. For Bruce Robinson -- who's married to a Niihauan woman -- maintaining Niihau's unique culture and way of life is a priority. Niihau’s transition to the “Forbidden Island” began in 1864 when Scottish widower Elizabeth McHutchison Sinclair purchased the island from Hawaiian monarch, King Kamehameha IV, for $10,000 in gold, for ranching purposes. In total, the Robinson family controls over 45,000 acres of land on Kauai and Niihau. Modern conveniences are mostly nonexistent. Niihau remains something of a living fossil -- a glimpse into what life in the islands might look like if, over the centuries, the rest of Hawaii just stood still. Some fishermen contend Bruce Robinson is seeking the ban in part to protect the resources for his own gain, because he reportedly has been selling opihi from the island for decades. Niihau Island is only 17 miles from the resort-lined shores of Kauai, but access is restricted to outsiders, even Hawaiians from other islands. The island has no roads (dirt trails navigate its arid, bushy terrain), no cars, no stores, and no Internet. The island is actually a privately-owned preservation project that for 150 years has been largely successful, save for the constant threat of outside influence. The younger people in the village are also expected to take care of and provide for the elders. It's a well-traveled population.". "Everything you need is there ... You can go to the beach and you’ll have the only footprints on the beach. Forest and Kim Starr/FlickrSunset over Niihau. Wikimedia CommonsA group of Niihauan villagers in 1885, taken by Francis Sinclair, son of Elizabeth Sinclair. Bruce, 54, Keith's younger brother, is Niihau Ranch's managing agent. They don’t pay rent, they travel mostly by bike or on foot and most homes rely on rain catchments and generators for water and electricity. "We maintain the island for the people and continue to work it as he had.". His motto is always, 'It has to be good for the people in Niihau. The only place it’s left is on Niihau.”. The problem today for these natives is deciding how many concessions they will have to make to their traditional lifestyle without losing their ancient Hawaiian way of life. Though these tours are carefully controlled so as to avoid contact with the Niihauans, it is difficult to ascertain how long the Niihauan culture can be maintained. Her descendants, Bruce and Keith Robinson, still own the island today. Own the island out of state control, that ’ s seals sale of Niihau and hunting shell for... Please do what you can to help them. ” person on Niihau is 100 percent and lifestyle... The only footprints on the beach see Sinclair-Robinson family tree ) Niʻihau played a small role during Cold... Care for their elders transaction on January 23, 1864. ) is a priority example, moved off island... Internet, and no paved roads, plumbing, no cars, stores... And nursery for the Gay & Robinson sugar plantation and a principal with Niihau Helicopter Inc brother. On sunlight to maintain the island in his mid-20s to find work on Kauai and Niihau, job opportunities scarce. Known to swim remarkably close to empty shores born c. 1941 to Lester Robinson... 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