Kahoolawe is the smallest of the eight volcanic Islands of the Hawaiian Islands. This island is situated southwest of Maui and southeast of Lanai. Due to the island's lack of freshwater, the island of Kahoolawe has always been generally lightly populated.

Known as the Target Island, in the beginning of World War II, the island was used as a test ground for military practice drills and as a bombing range, but after decades of protests for the safety of the island and its inhabitants, the military ceased testing activities on the island after 1990.

The History of Kahoolawe

The island of Kahoolawe has experienced a history harsh times, with Queen Kaahumanu using the island as her penal colony and later in the 19th century, there was an over population of goats that ruined the majority of the island’s the vegetation.

After World War II, a group called Protect Kahoolawe Ohana (PKO) was created, which aimed at the creating a better life for people on the island. The group dealt with reforms and development of the island’s people who were traumatized after World War II experiences. It also aimed at improving the situation of island plants and vegitation which were endangered and destroyed due to the war.

After the group’s creation, a movement began which brought cultural, social, and political reforms, called as the Hawaiian Renaissance. Further, the Supply and Commodity Department of the island also underwent a reformation, improving the economy of Kahoolawe.

Kahoolawe Geography

The highest point of Kahoolawe is Puu Moaulanui which is 1,483 feet above the sea level. The ocean channel that separates the islands of Kahoolawe, Maui, and Lanai is called Kealaikahiki, which means the pathway to Tahiti as Kealaikahiki runs southward to Tahiti. Also, the mountain peaks on Kahoolawe was the site of a school for celestial navigation; these were used by the Polynesians to travel the great distances in the Pacific Ocean.

Due to the history of Kahoolawe and its scenic beauty, the island was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 28th March 1981.