Overview

Ni'ihau: The Last Living Link to Ancient Polynesia provides a comprehensive and nuanced analysis of the seventh-largest Hawaiian island, famously known as the 'Forbidden Island.' Since its private purchase in 1864 for $10,000 in gold, Ni'ihau has remained a closed sanctuary, preserving a way of life that has largely vanished elsewhere. This book explores the island's unique geological formation in the rain shadow of Kaua'i, its pristine marine ecology, and the survival of 'Ōlelo Kanaka Ni'ihau-the only Hawaiian dialect never to have been broken by English dominance. The narrative moves through the island's chiefly history, the dramatic Ni'ihau Incident of WWII, and the current economic reliance on U.S. Navy radar installations. Beyond the romanticized mystery, the book addresses the 'compounding cascade of loss' as the population dwindles and young families move to Kaua'i for work. It is a profound meditation on the cost of isolation, the ethics of paternalistic stewardship, and the urgent need to document a culture that stands firm against the grinding pressures of the modern world

Full Product Details

9798198416307

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Countries Available