A military helicopter soars over makeshift homes that line the beach
at Makua. Photo by Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
A military helicopter soars over makeshift homes that line the beach
at Makua. Photo by Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
It is not the first time that people have been forced out of Makua, but the state hopes it will be the last. Hawaiians who farmed the land in the early part of this century were ordered to leave by the U.S. military, and as recently as 1983, the state evicted another group of Hawaiians living on the beach. The players are different this time, but the arguments are the same.
Many have left in anticipation of upcoming evictions. About 100 remain - some planning to defend the land they feel is all they have left.
Makua has become more than a turf fight. It is a flash point for some Hawaiians, who say it is the last place on Oahu where they can truly be free in a land they once inhabited alone..
They call it Pu'uhonua O Makua, Sacred Place of Makua, and they say the community they have built evolved into a place of refuge.
This weekend they plan to build an ahu, a shrine, on the beach. They are inviting the public to camp over, fish and enjoy the surf with them -- to learn why they want to stay and what a day in the life of Makua is like.
Kaleo Pesquiro plays on the beach while father Eric visits friends. Photo by Craig Kojima, Star-Bulletin