Land of sanctuary: Once a pu'uhonua (place of refuge) for defeated warriors and those who had violated the strictures of the Hawaiian kapu system (that which is prohibited or sacred), Molokai has long been a land of special power. Like all such sanctuaries in Polynesia, Molokai was not protected by physical force, but by mana — that is, spiritual power.

That power is still palpable on Molokai, which is often referred to as the "Most Hawaiian Island" because it has the largest percentage of native Hawaiian residents in the state (excluding, that is, the privately owned island of Ni'ihau).