Located on the western tip of the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu, Mākua has long been a place of refuge for Kānaka Maoli, native Hawaiians.
It’s the pu‘uhonua for the kua‘āina,
a place where we Hawaiians can still be free.
Robi Kahakalau
One of the last undeveloped valleys on the island, Mākua has become a home for the houseless, the unemployed, working poor, drug addicts, victims of domestic abuse, the sick and those that simply want to live the Hawaiian lifestyle of their ancestors.
With the upper valley used as a gunnery range by the U.S. military, beach residents struggle to survive in the blistering sun, relentless wind, salt spray and pounding waves. Nevertheless, they prove they can solve their own problems, build their own living spaces, grow food, share labor, clear industrial waste and trash, and even police themselves—all without big government programs and money.
This documentary was produced to try to prevent a threatened eviction by the state of Hawai‘i. The eviction finally took place in June of 1996.
A 1983 eviction at Mākua was also documented by Nā Maka o ka ‘Āina, Mākua Homecoming.
NĀ MAKA O KA ʻĀINA
We are Joan Lander and Puhipau (1937-2016) of Nā Maka o ka ‘Āina (“The Eyes of the Land”), an independent video production team that, since 1981, has focused on the land and people of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.
We exist to document and give voice and face to traditional and contemporary Hawaiian culture, history, language, art, music, environment and the politics of independence and sovereignty. Our over 100 documentary and educational programs have been seen on PBS, Hawai‘i public and commercial television stations, public access cable channels, and broadcast/cable networks in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Japan, Mexico and Europe.
Our award-winning productions have been used by teachers and scholars in classrooms in Hawai‘i and throughout the world, and our iconic footage of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement has been featured in numerous documentaries by other producers.
