Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T CHANGE MOLOKA'I
Nowhere in the islands do the war drums against development beat louder than on
Moloka'i. There is a preconception among visitors to Hawai'i that the people of
Moloka'i are against tourists, which isn't exactly accurate. While it's a complex and
sensitive issue, a popular bumper sticker seen around town may describe it best:
Moloka'i not for sale. Just Visit. Our lifestyle and economy depend on it. As the
bumper sticker says, Moloka'i vendors realize that tourist dollars are an integral part
of what is usually a struggling economy, but at the same time, it only takes one
glance across the Pailolo Channel to the resorts of Ka'anapali to see what Moloka'i
wants to avoid turning into. With the exception of Ni'ihau, Moloka'i remains the
only island where over 50 percent of the population is of Native Hawaiian descent,
and in many ways it truly is the last holdout of ancient Hawaiian culture.
With development comes modernization, and with modernization comes loss of
culture. It's a swan song which has been played again and again in countless in-
digenous societies across the globe. Given the dispute, it's important to remember
that the concept of land ownership has never existed in Hawaiian culture. Hawaiian
