Beyond the Base is an ʻōiwi-led podcast examining U.S. militarism in Hawaiʻi and the systems that sustain it. Across the islands, the U.S. military manages roughly 245,000 acres of land—nearly a quarter of Oʻahu and large swaths of ʻāina on Hawaiʻi Island—much of it leased in the 1960s for just one dollar. After 65 years, those leases are set to expire, creating a rare moment of possibility for Hawaiʻi. The podcast looks at how military power has shaped our ʻāina, water, housing, economy, even the roads we drive on, all to answer one guiding question: what is it like to live in one of the most militarized places on Earth, and what would it take to change that?

Guided by Makawalu, a way of seeing through multiple, interwoven perspectives, Beyond the Base goes beyond simply asking what happened. It questions how militarism shows up in our histories, our bodies, and the futures we are trying to build. Each episode breaks down complex ideas in clear, grounded ways and connects them to everyday life and spends time with people from across Hawaiʻi whose work is reimagining different ways forward. The series includes full episodes that unpack major themes alongside shorter minisodes that dive deeper into specific questions.

As the 2029 military lease expirations approach, Beyond the Base invites listeners to look clearly at what we’ve inherited and to imagine what kind of future we want to help shape—an opportunity whose effects will reach far beyond our lifetimes.