Mālama Mākua

Nestled on the far West Side of O’ahu, Hawai’i, Mākua is a sacred valley where Native Hawaiian creation stories tell of earth and sky deities giving birth to the first people. Once a thriving community rich in natural abundance, Mākua’s was taken by the U.S. Army, which forcibly evicted its residents. For decades, the valley and its pristine beach were subjected to relentless military bombing and live-fire training, scarring both land and spirit in the name of national security. Mālama Mākua tells the story of a community that banded together to end the Military destruction of Mākua. A film 30 years in the making, Mālama Mākua chronicles the ongoing struggle to restore U.S. Military-occupied lands to Native Hawaiian stewardship.

Winner of the Audience Choice Award at the Hawai’i International Film Festival, Mālama Mākua traces the valley’s transformation from a place of deep cultural roots to a rallying point for grassroots activism. Connecting this local struggle to global movements for Indigenous sovereignty, demilitarization, and environmental justice, the film follows the people of Mākua as they fight to reclaim their ancestral lands. With the U.S. Army’s leases on the lands set to expire in 2029, the call for Mākua’s return grows more urgent than ever.