Sitting peacefully in the Pacific Ocean between Maui and Lanaʻi lies Kaho'olawe, a small, windswept island that holds profound cultural and spiritual significance for Native Hawaiians. Known traditionally as Kanaloa, the island is revered as a sacred place of navigation, worship, and connection to ancestral lineage. However, during and after World War II, Kaho'olawe was subjected to decades of relentless bombing and military testing by the United States Navy—leaving behind physical devastation, cultural loss, and environmental trauma that reverberates to this day.
Wartime Beginnings: Kaho'olawe's Strategic Use in WWII
Kaho'olawe's tragic transformation began in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. As fears of Japanese invasion heightened, the U.S. military sought secure and remote locations to conduct training exercises and weapons testing. Kaho'olawe, sparsely populated and largely uninhabited due to its arid environment, was deemed ideal.
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order placing Kahoʻolawe under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Navy. Soon after, the island became a training ground for ship-to-shore bombardment, aerial strafing, amphibious landings, and live-fire target practice. It was systematically pounded by explosives, including high-powered bombs, napalm, and eventually, during the Cold War era, simulated nuclear weapons.
While the island was always considered sacred to Native Hawaiians, its importance was largely ignored by military authorities during this period. Ancient heiau (temples), archaeological sites, and burial grounds were destroyed or damaged beyond recognition. The impact on the island’s fragile ecosystem was similarly catastrophic—vegetation was stripped, topsoil eroded, and entire areas became craters of scorched earth.
Post-War Bombing and the Rise of Resistance
Though World War II ended in 1945, Kaho'olawe's suffering continued. The island was never returned to the people of Hawaiʻi. Instead, it became a permanent part of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet training operations, continuing to be bombed for decades under the rationale of military preparedness.
By the 1970s, amidst a broader Hawaiian Renaissance—a cultural movement focused on the revival of Native Hawaiian identity, language, and sovereignty—activists began to challenge the military’s occupation of the island. A grassroots group called Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO) was formed in 1976, led by passionate cultural leaders such as George Helm and Kimo Mitchell. They called for an end to the bombing, the return of the island, and the restoration of its land and sacredness.
PKO’s movement drew national attention. Members of the group staged a series of high-risk occupations by secretly landing on the island to draw attention to its plight. Tragedy struck in 1977 when George Helm and Kimo Mitchell disappeared at sea during an attempt to reach Kaho'olawe—sacrifices that would galvanize support and intensify the movement.
Here is a YouTube video link that showcases some of the bomb test footage from those years:
A Hard-Fought Victory and Partial Restoration
After years of protest, lawsuits, and growing public scrutiny, the U.S. Navy finally ceased live-fire training exercises in 1990, under orders from President George H. W. Bush. Four years later, in 1994, the island was officially transferred back to the State of Hawaiʻi, though it remained under a federal mandate for cleanup.
Congress authorized $400 million for the cleanup effort, known as the Kahoʻolawe Island Conveyance Commission (KICC) project. However, the task was enormous. The U.S. Navy had turned Kahoʻolawe into one of the most extensively bombed islands in the Pacific, and a large portion of the island was still littered with unexploded ordnance (UXO)—including deep-buried munitions that posed long-term hazards.
The goal was to clear at least 100% of the surface and 25% of the subsurface, but due to the dangers and complexities involved, only about 75% of the surface and less than 10% of the subsurface were deemed safe by the time cleanup efforts officially ended in 2003. Much of the island remains off-limits for public access due to these lingering dangers.
Lasting Effects on the ʻĀina (Land) and the People
The legacy of the bombings on Kahoʻolawe is multifaceted—environmental, cultural, and spiritual. The island’s landscape remains scarred by craters, eroded gullies, and large swaths of lifeless land. Its already arid climate, compounded by decades of deforestation and explosive impacts, has made ecological recovery a daunting task.
Culturally, the loss was immeasurable. Ancient stone structures, petroglyphs, and sacred sites were damaged or destroyed. For many Hawaiians, this represented not just a loss of physical artifacts, but a severing of spiritual ties to the land and ancestors.
However, the movement to reclaim and restore Kahoʻolawe has sparked a cultural rebirth. Since the return of the island, restoration efforts have included planting native species, controlling erosion, and reviving traditional practices. Kahoʻolawe is now managed by the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC), which oversees access and stewardship of the island for cultural, educational, and environmental purposes.
Only Native Hawaiians or those involved in official restoration efforts are permitted to visit, and overnight stays are highly regulated. These visits often include ceremonies, chants (oli), and work to heal the land—both symbolically and physically.
A Symbol of Resistance and Resilience
Today, Kahoʻolawe stands as both a symbol of the destructive impacts of militarization and a testament to the resilience of Native Hawaiian culture. It is a living example of how cultural identity, once suppressed and overlooked, can rise again through collective effort, remembrance, and aloha ʻāina—a deep love for the land.
The island’s story continues to inspire movements across Hawaiʻi and beyond, calling attention to the long-term effects of colonization, environmental degradation, and the need for Indigenous stewardship. While Kaho'olawe may never be fully restored to its former self, its journey from devastation to renewal is a powerful reminder that healing is possible—through time, effort, and a commitment to honoring the past.
To Learn More:
These organizations continue the vital work of healing Kaho'olawe and keeping its history alive for future generations.
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