All Products forNIIHAU SHELL LEI on Black

Elizabeth Sinclair purchased the island of Niʻihau in 1864 for $10,000 from the Kingdom of Hawaii. The island's private ownership passed on to her descendants, the Robinsons. During World War II, the island was the site of the Niʻihau Incident, in which, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, a Japanese navy fighter pilot crashed on the island and received help from residents. The island, known as "the Forbidden Isle", is off-limits to all outsiders except the Robinson family and their relatives, US Navy personnel, government officials, and invited guests. The island is currently managed by brothers Bruce and Keith Robinson. The people of Niʻihau are noted for their gemlike lei pūpū (shell lei) craftsmanship. They speak Hawaiian as a primary language.