| MĀLAMA
HAWAI‘I NEWS
KU
HOLO MAU, Sail On, Sail Always, Sail Forever
KU HOLO LA KOMOHANA, Sail On to the Western Sun
2007
Voyage to Micronesia and Japan
“Voyaging,
a microcosm for living. We voyage in the wake of our ancestors.
When we sail we are surrounded by an immense ocean. To survive,
we must learn to mālama, to care for, each other and our canoe.”
The Polynesian
Voyaging Society explores the world’s oceans, thus far having
voyaged throughout Polynesia and the Pacific Northwest. In 2007
we will explore the western Pacific and the island nations of
Micronesia and Japan. In doing so, we expand our vision of global
kinship, perpetuate our cultural heritage, encourage stewardship,
and reach thousands of school children through educational programs.
In addition, this voyage honors our historical ties to Micronesia
and Japan and thanks each for their contributions to Hawai‘i.
In the end it is about values and a better world for our children,
for as on a canoe that sails the vast ocean with limited space
and resources, so are we on this island earth in the midst of
this vast universe - we must learn to live well and with respect
and caring for ourselves, each other and our cultural and natural
environment.
Micronesia
Our voyage
to the islands of Micronesia, including the island of Satawal,
home of master navigator Mau Piailug, is to honor Mau and his
contributions to the reawakening of Hawai‘i’s voyaging
tradition, which dates back 2,000 years yet which had been asleep
for six-hundred years. Mau not only navigated Hōkūle‘a
on its first voyage to Tahiti in 1976, he shared his knowledge
of navigation with young Hawaiians eager to learn. His contribution
has helped Hōkūle‘a’s legacy span 30 years
and that legacy inspired growth in the voyaging community to more
than a dozen deep-sea voyaging canoes across Polynesia. This journey
is a voyage of thanks from the entire Pacific voyaging family.
It is also part of a long-term plan to establish a Pacific-wide
school of navigation, thereby ensuring that traditional navigation
and Mau’s dream of keeping cultural traditions alive, will
survive for future generations.
Japan
From Micronesia,
Hōkūle‘a will visit Japan to celebrate historic
and contemporary cross-cultural connections. In 1880 King David
Kalākaua was the first state leader to meet with Emperor
Meiji of Japan. The two leaders saw the value of cultural exchange
and the importance of building global relationships. Kalākaua
also opened Hawai‘i to the immigration of Japanese workers,
whose descendants have become an integral part of a strong multicultural
community that values sharing and working together. The voyage
will nurture our multi-generational family ties, emphasize our
shared values and allow Hawai'i to share Hōkūle‘a’s
story and the renaissance of Hawaiian culture and pride. This
voyage is in partnership with the Japanese Cultural Center of
Hawai‘i, the Japan-America Society of Hawai‘i, and
the Kenjin Kai. Together we hope to celebrate Hawai‘i’s
cultural diversity, honor our ancestors, encourage stewardship
of our environment and contribute to global peace by fostering
cultural understanding and appreciation.
- - -
New Voyaging Canoe for Mau Piailug
 Kawaihae
Harbor, HI - After 5 years of work, Nā Kalai Wa'a
Moku O Hawai'i launched the deep-sea voyaging canoe “Alingano
Maisu” in Kawaihae Harbor on Saturday, October 21st, 2006.
Nā Kalai Wa'a Moku O Hawai'i, which owns and operates the
voyaging canoe “Makali'i,” built the Maisu under the
leadership of the late Clay Bertelmann and his brother Shorty
Bertelmann, as a gift of thanks to Micronesian master navigator
Mau Piailug. Mau navigated the first voyage of Hōkūle‘a
toTahiti and became our teacher, helping Hawai'i to revive its
ancient tradition of non-instrument navigation. This gift completes
the circle of giving.
Students from the Kanu o Ka'aina New Century Public Charter School,
who also helped construct the canoe, chanted as Maisu was lifted
up and into the water for the first time. Clay’s wife Dee
Dee Bertelmann remarked “today, this is a canoe. Papa will
be proud.”
Clay’s daughter Pomai Bertelmann of Nā Kalai Wa' Moku
O Hawai'i pointed out “we had people from New Zealand, Argentina,
South Africa, Japan, Hawai'i, California, we had people from all
over the world working on this canoe. We couldn’t have asked
for more.”
Mau could not be at the launching as he is on his home island
of Satawal, but his cousin Thomas Raffipiy said in a gathering
on the canoe that “his (Mau’s) vision has built a
bridge between Hawai'i and Micronesia and it will be a bridge
that I know a lot of the children and our children’s children
will travel. Today when I was watching the canoe get off the trailer
and into the water, I saw that vision.”
Yet the Maisu is not completed and there is a sense of urgency
to deliver it to Mau in Micronesia before the on-set of next year’s
typhoon season, as Mau is now 74 years old and increasingly suffering
the effects of diabetes. The canoe must still be outfitted with
safety gear, including radio equipment, and it needs to be supplied
for its journey to Micronesia.
*Alingano
Maisu – The name Alingano Maisu is the name of a wind that
causes the ‘ulu (breadfruit) to fall from the trees. The
people of Satawal cannot pick the ‘ulu, their main food
item, until the chief of their island says they can, that is except
when this wind blows the ‘ulu from the tree, then people
are free to gather and eat it without permission. This is a metaphor
as the canoe is likened to this wind, allowing the people to learn
of their culture “free” from restraints. It will be
for all.
- - -
Send
Your “Aloha” to Mau and Micronesia
Send
messages of thanks and aloha to Mau for his gift of helping Hawai`i
to rediscover its voyaging and navigational tradition, and to
Micronesia for keeping its cultural tradition long enough to reawaken
ours.
Send an e-mail to:
pvshawaii@hawaiiantel.net
Mail a message to:
Polynesian
Voyaging Society
191 Ala Moana Blvd.
Pier 7
Honolulu, HI 96813
*The
crew of the Hōkūle‘a
will hand carry the e-mails and messages to Mau on his home island
of Satawal.
HAWAI'I’S NEWEST DEEP-SEA VOYAGING CANOE “MAISU”
A gift for Master Navigator
Mau Piailug
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