Molokaʻi

Molokaʻi is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago between Oʻahu and Lānaʻi. It is part of the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Connect

Hawaiian Islands: An archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean formed by volcanic activity over a moving hotspot. Molokaʻi is one of the islands in this archipelago.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park: A U.S. national park preserving the Kalaupapa settlement and its history on Molokaʻi’s north shore. It commemorates the community formed around the forced isolation of people with Hansen’s disease.
Hansen’s disease in Hawaii: The history of leprosy, now called Hansen’s disease, and its diagnosis, treatment, and social consequences in Hawaii. The forced settlement at Kalaupapa became a defining part of Molokaʻi’s history.
Maui: A Hawaiian island southeast of Molokaʻi and the largest island in Maui County. Maui shares the county but has a larger population and a major visitor economy.
Hawaiian language: The Polynesian language indigenous to Hawaiʻi, now spoken alongside English and undergoing revitalization. Its ʻokina and kahakō appear in Molokaʻi’s Hawaiian name and place-names.
Kalaupapa Peninsula: A remote peninsula on Molokaʻi’s north coast, enclosed by sea cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. Its isolated setting made it the site of Hawaiʻi’s Hansen’s disease settlement.
Kalaupapa settlement: A community on Molokaʻi where people diagnosed with Hansen’s disease were forcibly isolated from 1866 until 1969. Its residents built enduring lives and institutions despite compulsory exile.
Lānaʻi: A Hawaiian island southwest of Molokaʻi, historically shaped by pineapple cultivation and concentrated private ownership. Its landholding history offers a striking comparison with Molokaʻi’s community-centered land debates.
Hawaiian Kingdom: An independent Hawaiian state that existed from the early nineteenth century until its overthrow in 1893. Molokaʻi’s history includes the kingdom’s unification and subsequent loss of sovereignty.
Hālawa Valley: A deeply incised valley at Molokaʻi’s eastern end, with archaeological sites and waterfalls. It shows the island’s older volcanic landscape and long history of settlement.