Polynesian sailors of old read the seas and the
skies. Observing the positions of the stars and planets, the swells of
the ocean, and even the behavior of marine birds, the sailors found
their way in the vast Pacific Ocean.
Over time, that knowledge became increasingly scarce. In
Hawaii it became extinct—until, that is, artist and historian Herb
Kawainui Kane decided to make a replica of an ancient voyaging canoe.
The Hokule’a, meaning Star of Gladness in Hawaiian, was
created in 1975. It was named after Arcturus, the brightest star in the
Northern Hemisphere, which rises at the latitude of the Hawaiian
islands.
A master navigator from Micronesia, Mau Piailug, guided
the canoe from Hawaii to Tahiti and started to teach what he knew of the
old navigation ways.
As it sailed from Hawaii to Aotearoa, New Zealand, and to
Rapa Nui (Easter Island), the Hokule’a inspired a revival in canoe
building and cultural pride not only in Hawaii but also throughout
Polynesia. Remarkably, the crew navigated the seas in the same way
ancient voyagers did hundreds of years before, without any modern
instruments and relying solely on human observation of nature and the
elements.
The Hokule’a at sea. (‘AINA PAIKAI/POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY/’OIWI TV)
The Hokule’a is now at sea again, on a two-year worldwide
voyage from Hawaii. After sailing 26,000 nautical miles, visiting 100
ports in 27 nations, the canoe and its crew will dock in New York City
on June 5 and stay for about two weeks of outreach and educational
activities.
This time, the voyage is not about rekindling cultural
pride, although Hawaiian values such as caring, respect, and cooperation
continue to bind the crew together.
The name of this journey is Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage,
and the goal is to grow a movement toward more sustainable living, with
a strong educational component. In outreach materials, Malama Honua is
given to mean “to care for our Island Earth.”
Chad
Kalepa Baybayan, who mainly serves as captain and navigator on the
Hokule’a, stands on a Hawaiian star compass with a replica of the canoe.
(JASON PATTERSON/POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY/’OIWI TV)
Nainoa Thompson, a master navigator and the president of
the Polynesian Voyaging Society, recounts talking with one of his best
friends, Lacy Veach, the second astronaut that Hawaii sent into space.
They would talk about the link between the ancient voyage of the canoe
and space exploration.
Veach, who had seen our planet from space, “knew the earth
intimately and he knew it was in trouble,” Thompson said. “He was
essentially saying you have this giant ocean of space, and there’s an
island in it called the Earth. The planet is one island in this immense
area of space, and that’s the only island we have. Why don’t we protect
it?”
The idea is the same regardless of scale; whether it’s
about the Earth or a canoe in a vast ocean, it means to care for it and
its people.
It’s not a voyage that the crew members embarked on
lightly. It took them six years of rigorous physical training and study
to prepare.
Thompson mentioned the emotional and spiritual aspects of
getting ready as well. “Everybody needs to find their center before they
go, they need to have a place where they can focus and stay—especially
when things get rough,” he said.
For Thompson, as navigator, the overriding concern is the
safety of his crew. Especially when he’s in command, he said, “Every
single choice you make has to be the right one.” Fear has become a best
friend, he added. “I’ve learned over the years to grab it and hold it
close. As long as it doesn’t overwhelm you or run you over, or paralyze
you, fear is a place I go to, to be able to process all the things that I
need to stay focused on.”
Nainoa
Thompson, master navigator and president of the Polynesian Voyaging
Society. (SAM KAPOI/POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY/’OIWI TV)
The Hokule’a crew used only cues from the elements and
nature for about two-thirds of the journey, according to Thompson. But
in potentially perilous situations, they did not hesitate to use modern
technology. “At the Great Barrier Reef, we had every instrument you can
imagine to make sure we didn’t pile up into the reef,” he said.
Last fall, the crew braved South Africa’s famously
dangerous coast to dock in Cape Town. Thompson recounted the reception
by Desmond Tutu. “He’s got medical challenges. He came hobbling up on a
hot day. To see him jump up and start dancing in the street with
children from South America and children from Hawaii was everything.
Laughing and smiling and having all the pain go away for the moment …
that was extraordinary,” he said.
The Hokule’a is currently making its way up the East Coast of the United States for the first time.
In a phone interview, Thompson recalled exceptional kindness not
only at the planned ports of call, such as Washington, but also where
the canoe made unplanned stops, such as in Stuart or Indian Harbor,
Florida, where the canoe was greeted by other watercraft, and the crew
were invited by the community to share dinner and stories.
“What we found on the East Coast was a lot of care, a lot of kindness, a lot of compassion from strangers,” he said.
Thompson said he is grateful for everyone who has
supported the voyage in their own way. “These people who showed us acts
of kindness, it’s not that they’re outside the voyage—they are the
voyage. That’s what we’re looking for, the beliefs of millions of people
who are willing to be committed to caring for the Earth and each
other.”
In New York, Thompson said he will expect to learn a great
deal from projects such as the Billion Oysters Project, which works
with schools to teach the community about oyster and ecosystem
restoration in New York Harbor.
“The equation includes children, it includes schools, it
includes business, it includes government. What you find in that project
is that the environment and business don’t have to be at odds. If you
clean the environment, you’ll strengthen the economy. We’re going to
learn a lot,” he said.
The Hokule’a will be in New York City from June 5 to
18. Activities include a talk about traditional wayfinding at the
American Museum of Natural History (June 7), a storytellers’ evening at
Patagonia in SoHo (June 9), and educational programming at Kamemeha Day
at the Hawaiian Airlines Liberty Challenge at Pier 26 (June 11). For the
full schedule of events, see hokulea.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment