Rats and feral cats followed the people and livestock, quickly overpowering the natural fauna. By 1858, official leases to ranching companies allowed sheep, cattle, and even more goats to roam and gobble, leading to severe erosion and soil loss. In 1832, the island became the home of a penal colony. Already sweltering in Maui’s rain shadow, much of Kaho’olawe’s heartiest vegetation disappeared due to the animals. The abasement started when goats were introduced in 1793. After the attack on Pearl Harbor and the declaration of martial law in the Territory of Hawaii, the US military took over the entire island, seemingly indefinitely.Įven before war converted Kaho’olawe into the Pacific’s target range, visitors and residents had already ensured the island was well on its way to ruin. In May of 1941, the US Army leased a small section of Kaho’olawe from cattle ranchers for $1.00 a year. In the modern era, the 45 square-mile area has been dubbed “the most shot island in the world.” In ancient times, the sacred island of Kaho’olawe was, according to local tradition, the Hawaiian peoples’ center for celestial navigation, a bountiful fishing grounds, and a spot where native priests carried out cultural and religious rites. They read, “Keep Away, Bombs in Land & Water.” For decades, even if you did manage to reach its beautiful beaches, the signs posted everywhere would surely ruin your day in the sun. Though it is one of the eight primary Windward Islands and not very far from the sun-drenched beaches of Maui and Lanai, this tropical outpost is completely uninhabited. There is one Hawaiian enclave most people have never heard of. Top Image courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command.
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