Kingston Images

Evening light bathes the towering sea cliffs of Molokai that rise nearly 2,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean, creating a natural barrier that effectively imprisoned Hansen's disease patients sent to Kalaupapa. From 1866 to 1969, these imposing walls of stone cut off the settlement from the rest of the island, making escape virtually impossible. Strikingly beautiful yet cruelly effective, they offered a 'million-dollar view' that embodied the harsh juxtaposition of breathtaking natural beauty and forced isolation. What was intended as geographical containment became a powerful symbol that thousands of exiled Hawaiians endured for over a century. Today, these same breathtaking cliffs stand as silent witnesses to a troubled past transformed by extraordinary human resilience.