When a non-Hawaiian resident speaks of Hawaii, they are most likely speaking of Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, or the Big Island of Hawaii. They may know of Molokaʻi and even Lanaʻi, but, most likely, they do not know of Kahoʻolawe.
For the native Hawaiian that is not the case. Kahoʻolawe is a sacred island to Hawaiians. It is a place deeply rooted in the history, culture and religion of the Hawaiian people.
In the twentieth century what was allowed to occur on Kahoʻolawe was a prime example of callous disregard for the people of Hawaii, their culture and beliefs by the United States government. It is only in recent years that steps have been taken to begin to repair the damages done and restore the island to the people of Hawaii.
The island of Kahoʻolawe is actually the summit of a single volcanic dome. It is one of the older of the main group of Hawaiian Islands.
Kahoʻolawe is 11 miles long and six miles wide It has a land area of 45 square miles. Kahoʻolawe is separated from Maui by the 6.9 mile wide Alalakeʻike Channel and from Lana'i by the 17.5 mile Kealaikahiki Channel.
It is often said that, when viewed from space, it appears like a crouching lion looking towards southeastern Maui.
The terrain of the island is that of a gentle slope with a ridge running diagonally across the island. The highest point is the 1477-foot Lua Makika at the northeastern part of the island. This is the site of the caldera that formed the island.
Kahoʻolawe is a dry and arid island with usually no more than 25 inches of rain annually. Most of this rainfall occurs on the eastern side of the mountain. The southwestern part of the island receives considerably less rain. This is because of its location relative to Haleakala on Maui, which shields Kahoʻolawe and prevents the island from receiving any trade wind precipitation as occurs on the other Hawaiian islands.
Kahoʻolawe often appears to have a pink tinge when viewed from Maui or from above, as seen in our picture which was taken from the space shuttle.
In windy weather, often in late afternoon, dust clouds of red soil blow downwind across the island. It is said that up to 15 feet of topsoil has blown off the island in the wind.
This pink tinge is directly related to the history of careless treatment of the island's soil. The island suffers from a history of overgrazing by sheep and cattle, destruction of vegetation by goats, deforestation and finally destruction caused by target bombing and shelling by the United States military.
If you are interested in reading more about the geography of Kahoʻolawe, I recommend the following sources which were used as sources for this feature:
Hawaiʻi: A Unique Geography by Joseph R. Morgan, Bess Press, Honolulu, Hawaii
Compass American Guides: Hawaii by Moana Tregaskis, Compass American Guides, Oakland, California
Lonely Planet Hawaii by Kim Grant, Glenda Bendure, Michael Clark, Ned Friary, Conner Gorry, Luci Yamamoto, Lonely Planet Publications, Hawthorn, Vic., Australia
