Before Us

Episode 5: Piko of Peace and Hoʻihoʻi Ea

In episode 5, Mālama Mākua board members Aunty Lynette Cruz and Uncle Sparky Rodrigues discuss the evolution of Mālama Mākua's mission, and we hear significant recent developments in the movement for the return and restoration of Mākua Valley. To learn more about Mālama Mākua, visit www.malamamakua.org [http://www.malamamakua.org].

Hiʻiaka at Mākua, Part 4: "He aina wai no keia"

An excerpt from He Moolelo Kaao o Hiiakaikapoliopele from the Hawaiian-language newspaper Ka Hoku o Hawaii, published on November 30, 1926. Read by ʻEleu Robins. In this excerpt from the epic tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, Hiʻiaka instructs the community on how to continue caring for the injured girl. The Mākua community members bemoan their lack of water, and Hiʻiaka reveals an underground source of freshwater to them. For an English translation of the story of Hiʻiaka at Mākua by Kepā Maly, visit www.malamamakua.org/hiiaka [http://www.malamamakua.org/hiiaka].

Episode 4: The Lease

In episode four, scholar and Mālama Mākua board member Kyle Kajihiro shares the story of the Army's 65-year lease in Mākua Valley, which expires in 2029, and of community efforts to protect and reclaim lands taken by the military. To learn more about Mālama Mākua, visit www.malamamakua.org [http://www.malamamakua.org].

Hiʻiaka at Mākua, Part 3: Ko Hiʻiaka paio me ke kupua ʻo Pōhakuloa

An excerpt from He Moolelo Kaao o Hiiakaikapoliopele from the Hawaiian-language newspaper Ka Hoku o Hawaii, published on November 30, 1926. Read by ʻEleu Robins. In this excerpt from the epic tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, Hiʻiaka battles and defeats the kupua Pōhakuloa in exactly the way she described to the people of Mākua, who are amazed to see the action unfold. For an English translation of the story of Hiʻiaka at Mākua by Kepā Maly, visit www.malamamakua.org/hiiaka [http://www.malamamakua.org/hiiaka].

Episode 3: The Ranch and the Railroad

In episode 3, we hear the last living memory of the pre-WWII Mākua community before the eviction. Born in Mākua in 1925, Ford Ushijima shares stories of his childhood in the Valley, fishing, farming, and learning steel guitar in a multi-ethnic ranching community.