Cultural Access Info
Do you have an organization or group who would like to come to a Cultural Access in Mākua Valley? We will be accepting proposed access dates for the months of May— August 2024, by the middle of February. Please check with your people and call or text us the date that works for you with a contact person and number. We will then give you a call and confirm some necessary details. If you need more info about Cultural Access, please give Vince a call at 808-478-6492.
It is also fine to give us a proposed date for the months of September— December 2024.
The map above, created by the U.S. army, shows just how many ancient cultural sites there are in Mākua Valley and proves why the valley is not an appropriate place for military training. The blue sites indicate sites that are available for cultural access, many of which have just recently re-opened to the community, and the red sites indicate those sites yet to be re-opened.
What it means to attend a cultural access in Mākua Valley
Attending a cultural access in Mākua is like visiting your grandparents. It is not a hike nor a tour. These accesses require a time commitment of anywhere from 4-8 hours that are spent experiencing Mākua. When you visit your grandparents, at some point you tell them you’re coming. That is what the protocol serves before we enter the Valley on an access. Usually you bring something to eat, some favorite food, or something else that pleases your grandparents. That is the hoʻokupu we bring into the Valley with us. Hoʻokupu is also a practice of remembering those who have enabled us to be where we are today. ʻĀina is family and Mākua serves as a place of reconnection.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION IF YOU HAVE A RESERVATION AND ARE COMING ON A CULTURAL ACCESS INTO MĀKUA
Each person coming on an access needs to have their first and last names, as they appear on a photo identification, on the registration roster in order to come on the access. If it was up to Mālama Mākua, there might not be a list, but if your name or the name of someone in your hui is not on the list, the U.S. army representatives will not let you in the valley, unfortunately. Dates of upcoming accesses are on the home page of this website. You can sign-up for the Mālama Mākua email list by clicking here. You will then receive emails about upcoming accesses and how you can sign up for them.
WHAT TO BRING
Bring photo identification, such as driver's license, with which to check in (no photo identification, no go, unfortunately). The names that are submitted for registration MUST match names on photo identification. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen (since it can get hot in Mākua and there is very little shade), a snack (to eat and/or share) and covered shoes. Since this is a cultural access, going barefoot is allowed in certain locations, though the rocks can be sharp. If you would like to know what areas those are, just ask a Mālama Mākua representative and they'll be happy to show you. If you do not have covered shoes with you to put on later, though, you will not be able to visit the ancient sites. Minors are welcome and do not need I.D., but will need to be signed in by an adult and have a liability waiver signed by a parent or guardian. If the minor is going to be accompanied by an adult who is not their parent/guardian, please print out the appropriate waiver to have it signed before coming to Mākua. The links for liability waivers are below.
You are welcome to bring hoʻokupu, but it is not required. For a list of oli regularly performed in Mākua, please see the Nā Oli Mākua page.
LIABILITY WAIVERS
Everyone entering sacred Mākua Valley on a cultural access is required by the army to sign a liability waiver. You can view the waivers at the links below. You can print them if you like, though waivers will also be provided at Mākua Valley.
Click here for the adult liability waiver. Click here for the minor liability waiver to be signed by parent/guardian.
DIRECTIONS
Take Farrington Highway past Waiʻanae, past Mākaha and toward Kaʻena. There will be a gate about a quarter mile past Kaneana Cave (Mākua Cave) on the mauka side of Farrington Highway. Just inside the gate is a parking lot. Enter through the gate (honk your horn if gate is closed and it will be opened for you) and meet in the parking lot, where you will sign in.
This is the view from just past Kāneana Cave (Mākua Cave), approaching the gated entrance to Mākua Valley on Farrington Highway.
This is the entrance to Mākua Valley. Pull up to the gate, where an army personnel will check photo identifications to make sure the names on the photo identifications are on the cultural access roster. Once names have been verified by the army personnel, continue through the gate to the parking lot just inside where you will leave your vehicle during the access. The gate will be closed during the access, so all vehicles in the parking lot will be secure.
UPCOMING CULTURAL ACCESSES INTO SACRED MĀKUA
Aloha mai kākou! We have cultural accesses currently scheduled on:
May 4th and 12th
June 28th
July 3rd, 6th, and 19th
August 3rd and 29th
Dates for the months following are not currently set.
Start times for the cultural access will be determined a couple of weeks before each access. Cultural accesses are led by Mālama Mākua and participants will need to be at Mākua at the start time to be able to go on the access.
Mahalo nunui!
