Wahi pana or military reserve? Public space or political cause? In many ways Makua Valley reflects the conflicting narratives of Hawai'i's social and natural history. It is the last major valley of O'ahu's Wai'anae Coast before reaching Ka'ena Point and is simultaneously claimed by Hawaiians, the U.S. military, environmentalists, community members and historians as an invaluable resource for each independent cause. After decades of serving as an off-limits training ground for combat-scenario Army assault maneuvers, Makua Valley was spared from artillery in 2004 when Earthjustice Environmental Defense Fund successfully sued the U.S. government for an environmental impact statement on behalf of the community group Malama Makua. Over the last decade and in the midst of the U.S. War on Terror, the debate about the best use of Makua Valley is more heated than ever, highlighting a central dilemma in Hawai'i for centuries: how to manage Hawai'i's unique resources for the greatest public good?
Photographer Jan Becket has been documenting the many shades of Makua Valley since 1993. His emotional images have captured the myriad dimensions and hidden histories of the valley, as well as its silent injuries and slow but hopeful renewal.
In ancient times the ahupuaŽa of Makua was home to a small Hawaiian population that farmed kalo and 'uala and fished the rich waters of the Wai'anae Coast. In the late 19th century a large portion of the valley's government and kuleana lands were converted into the Lincoln McCandless ranch, before giving way to the Makua Military Reservation. Many of the valley's currently intact lava rock walls date to this era
Makua Beach is used by the Wai'anae community as a social and cultural gathering space, especially in recent years as the coast's homeless population has increased. Since Malama Makua was able to secure regular public access trips in 2002, the valley's potential as a cultural and environmental learning tool is growing. From the restoration of a previously hidden spring to participation in the clearing of unexploded ordnance, community members are slowly reshaping the valley with a different vision for its future.
Makua valley is home to nearly 50 endangered plant and animal species, including the O'ahu tree snail and 'elepaio. During the valley's paniolo days, introduced cattle and wild pigs disrupted much of the area's native plant and animal life. But this pales in comparison to the impact that later military activities would cause: thousands of acres burned by accidental fires, toxic soil, water contamination, and open burn and open detonation (OBOD) of military waste.
U.S. military use of Makua dates as far back as 1929, but it wasn't until 1943 that the valley was acquired for joint Army-Navy wartime training and bivouacs, and most residents were forced to leave. In 1964 President Johnson created the Makua Military Reservation under a 65-year lease for the sum of one dollar. The valley has since been the Army°s principal live-fire training site in Hawai'i, though this was halted in 2004 by Malama Makua's lawsuit. Artillery pop-up targets and tire enclosures used for grenade practice remain in the valley under the premise of the Army°s return.