On the north shore of Oahu lies a breathtakingly beautiful valley and beach called Makua. Rich in Hawaiian history and culture, this land was once where the ancient warrior tribe Olohe practiced the martial art of bone breaking called lua, a sacred act of self defense. The Olohe people grew sweet potatoes in the valley, officiated at rituals that initiated young hula dancers into halaus, and practiced their highly religious and spiritual lifestyle. Other chiefs occasionally called on the highly respected Olohe warriors to settle disturbances and rid them of troublemakers.
Today, another warrior tribe has taken over the valley, and the Olohe no longer exist to rid Makua of these troublemakers. The US Army first arrived at Makua in 1929. There was minimal activity until martial law was declared in Hawaii in 1942 and the army occupied Makua. The original stated intention was to stay for an additional six months after the end of World War II. Now, over half a century has passed and the army shows no intention of leaving Makua. The only people who have left are the native people who, decade after decade since the occupation began, have been forced out of their homeland. The Army calls these native Hawaiians "squatters".
Hawaiian genealogies indicate that Makua Valley was occupied continuously for 35 generations (approximately 800 years). Throughout the centuries of Hawaiian occupation, the water was clean, the fish abundant, the soil productive, and the natural resources healthy. In the half-century of US Army use, the natural and cultural resources of the area have been abused to the point that many may never be retrieved.
The health, safety and well-being of neighboring low-income and predominantly Pacific Islander communities have been threatened by fires, smoke, noise, toxic contamination and military transport clogging the only highway. The Army uses the land for live fire training, at the expense of both the environment and local health conditions.
The fires that the Army sets (both deliberately and accidentally) burn the valley sides and threaten endangered plants and snails. In addition, there are detonations of munitions and use of harmful chemicals. There are abnormally high cancer rates on the Wai'anae coast where the Makua Valley lies. Munitions have been scattered everywhere into this once productive valley, making it unsuitable for any human activity, even the training of soldiers for combat.
Like the situation in Vieques, Puerto Rico, there is a long history of resistance to the occupation of Makua. For decades, the local community repeatedly asked the US Army to disclose all impacts associated with training at Makua to no avail. In 1998, a local group, Malama Makua, represented by Earthjustice, reached a settlement with the US Army compelling the agency to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for training. NEPA requires federal agencies like the Army to analyze potential environmental impacts before taking actions that might cause significant environmental harm. The Army finally agreed to assess the environmental impacts of training-related activities at Makua. As a result of the settlement, the Army was not able to train in the valley from September 1998 to October 2001.
Then, the September 11, 2001 attack changed everything. Training resumed that October to meet military readiness requirements and to prepare soldiers for deployment to Afghanistan. Under a settlement brokered between Earthjustice and the US Army, the Army was allowed to train in the valley as long as it completed an environmental impact statement within three years. In return, Malama Makua was granted limited visitation privileges each month and was allowed to have its members observe what the Army did in the valley.
In July 2003, an Army "controlled burn" got out of control and scorched half of the 4,190-acre Wai'anae Coast, including Makua. Making national headlines, the fire burned over 70 federally listed endangered plants and more than 2,000 acres, which included essential recovery habitat for dozens of endangered plants and animals, as well as areas containing scores of cultural sites eligible for the National Historic Register. The army admits the fire raged out of control, but contends the fire did not affect any individual elepaio or tree snails (both are endangered) or pueo (federally listed as a species of concern).
The recent war in Iraq meant increased environmental and cultural desecration of Makua. With 4,500 Oahu-based soldiers deployed to Iraq, the army has stated that "we must use all of our available training areas to train our soldiers. Makua Valley is essential to conduct the convoy live-fire training that will save our soldiers' lives in combat."
While the Olohe tribe is no longer present in Makua to protect the land, Malama Makua courageously continues to fight for the land of their ancestors, the cultural sites that still remain, and the environmental health to which the people of this sacred 'aina are entitled.
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