FREE HAWAII NEWS SHORT
WHAT IS THE MAGIC OF MĀKUA VALLEY?
Want More? Watch The Full Episode Here - FreeHawaiiNews.com
FREE HAWAII NEWS SHORT
WHAT IS THE MAGIC OF MĀKUA VALLEY?
Want More? Watch The Full Episode Here - FreeHawaiiNews.com
DECEMBER FREE HAWAII NEWS - DO YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN HAWAII TO BE HAWAIIAN?
Plus What Kind Of Wealth Is Being Built In Lahaina, Also A New Documentary Asks What Does Mākua Valley Have To Teach The World, Then Why Are The Nations Of Oceania Key To A Free Hawaii, And Kumu Hina Debuts A Brand New Song In Our December Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o
The December 2025 “Free Hawaii News” debuting tonight, Friday, December 5th airs at 7 PM on `Olelo Television Channel 53 on O`ahu, on all neighbor islands and also at http://FreeHawaiiNews.com
“We interview filmmaker Mikey Inouye about the new documentary, ʻMālama Mākua,ʻ which traces the fascinating history of Mākua valley as well as present day efforts to remove US military presence there and return the valley to the people of Hawaii,” states Free Hawaii News co-host Leon Siu.
“Then in our Pacific Way segment both co-host Hinaleimoana Wong and I explore the Hawaiian diaspora with all of the mixed emotions, confusion on what constitutes being Hawaiian, the lasting impact Hawaiians have had throughout the world, and insight and analysis from Hawaiian historian Adam Keawe Manalo-Camp.”
“Also on the December Free Hawaii News we go back to Lahaina to see the progress that has been made this year in recovery from the 2023 fires. We discover not only recovery but also a commitment from the people of Lahaina about wealth that is created in their recovery be the kind that focuses on local residents and brings a lasting, non-monetary impact,” reports Free Hawaii News co-host Hinaleimoana Wong.
Plus we report on why the nations of Oceania are key to a Free Hawaii and also Hinaleimoana Wong debuts a brand new song for everyone in her Kumu Hinaʻs Manao` segment.
Free Hawaii News presents Hawaiian or kanaka maoli perspectives on a broad range of issues and topics affecting the Hawaiian Islands, the Pacific and the world.
Brought to you by the Koani Foundation, Free Hawaii News airs every month on `Ōlelo Television on O`ahu, on all neighbor islands and on stations around the world as well as online on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Substack, Pinterest, X, BlueSky and over thirty different Facebook pages and other online sites.
Hinaleimoana Wong is a kumu hula, filmmaker, cultural activist, Hawaiian language speaker, preservationist and community leader. She has served in the past as a member of the O`ahu Island Burial Council.
Leon Siu has for many years served as Foreign Minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He is active in that role at the United Nations in both New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. Besides being a diplomat, he is also an award-winning musician, composer and political analyst.
MENTIONED YESTERDAY ON FREE HAWAI`I TV
US Military To Permanently End Live Fire Training In Makua Valley
Hawai`i News Now - December 1, 2023
The U.S. Department Defense has announced the military no longer needs to conduct live-fire training in Makua Valley — now or in the future.
It’s a major win for Native Hawaiian groups and environmentalists after years of activism.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth filed a statement with federal court in Hawaii detailing the military’s new stance.
“The U.S. Army discontinued live fire activities at the Makua Military Reservation in 2004. In October, U.S. Army Pacific leadership signed a memorandum stating there are no plans to resume live-fire at MMR, now or in the future,” said Col. Rob Phillips, US Army Pacific Spokesperson.
The announcement comes a quarter century after Malama Makua, represented by Earthjustice, took the Army to court to compel compliance with with the National Environmental Policy Act.
That law required the Army to consider alternatives for training at Makua that could accomplish the same mission with fewer impacts on the environment, sacred sites and the Waianae community.
Under the terms of a 2001 settlement, the military hasn’t conducted live-fire training at Makua Valley since 2004. Then in 2008, the Army said moving training from the area was feasible.
“We welcome the good news that the Army has decided to end live-fire training at Makua permanently,” said Malama Makua board member Lynette Cruz. “The valley has suffered enough.”
The Makua Military Reservation includes three valleys, home to over 40 endangered and threatened species and dozens of sacred and cultural sites.
The military’s lease with the state — which covers about 768 acres — expires in 2029.
Earthjustice says decades of live-fire training sparked wildfires that destroyed native forest habitat. Bullets have also pockmarked sacred sites and countless other sites have been destroyed.
Malama Makua board member Sparky Rodrigues says Makua Valley was seized for training following the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, “evicting Hawaiians with the promise that their lands would be cleaned up and returned six months after the end of World War II.”
“Almost 80 years later, we’re still waiting. Ending live-fire training is an important first step in undoing the wrongs of the past and restoring Makua, which means ‘parents’ in Hawaiian.”
Earthjustice attorney David Henkin, who has been lead counsel for Mālama Makua in the NEPA litigation since 1998, said it’s clear Makua Valley is not needed for live-fire training.
“The guns have been silent at Makua for nearly two decades,” he said. “During all that time, which included major wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hawaii-based military units have carried out their national security mission without destructive live-fire training at Makua.”
FREE HAWAI`I TV
THE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK
"INSULT - US MILITARY PAYS $1 PER YEAR FOR HAWAIIAN LANDS"
Whenʻs The Last Time You Paid $1 Per Year To Lease Land In Hawai`i?
The US Militaryʻs Been Doing It For Over 60 Years.
Now Those Leases Will Be Coming Up For Renewal Soon.
Watch This For Big Questions That Need Answers On Whatʻs Next.
REMEMBERING FRED DODGE
Malama Makua - A Visit With Fred Dodge, MD
The first time Fred Dodge, who passed away recently, saw Makua Valley it was love at first sight. But the idyllic image of a beautiful ancient valley where Hawaiians had lived for thousands of years was shattered when he discovered the US Army had been using it for bombing and military training missions. Thatʻs when Fred along with others founded Malama Makua, dedicated to returning Makua Valley to itʻs original state. Join us in our visit with Fred and youʻll see why he was so dedicated to saving Makua for generations to come.