Hokulea Research Paper

2006 Words5 Pages

Colin Ashworth
Schweizer
LLEA 371
22 November 2016
The Evolution of the Hokulea The story of the Hokulea, a model of the first canoes that brought the first Polynesians to Hawaii, is a story that restores cultural pride and history to Hawaiians. Her legacy was almost extinct, but survived and restored the relationship that society has with its island home. More than 600 years had gone by without seeing one of these canoes, until artist Herb Kane thought to build a sailing canoe just like the ones his ancestors sailed (“The Story of Hokulea”). Responsible for being the cornerstone of Polynesian culture, the Hokulea has evolved over many years and has helped revive a heritage that was almost lost.
Polynesia was a massive country forming a triangle …show more content…

Without these canoes, the Polynesians would have never made it to the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiians were able to develop the islands and master the art of living sustainably. They were able to live lives that were full of leisure like surfing and hula dancing. Because the land was plentiful, they only had to spend around four hours per day working on food production and preparation, allowing for recreational time. Eventually, western influence brought a major shift in thinking, and changed how seafaring was done. Western influence brought new ideas, culture, and traditions to the islands. It also changed the way Hawaiians interacted with the natural environment. The Hawaiian traditional practices, views, and values were nearly forgotten over …show more content…

It is the star that sits over the Hawaiian Islands that helped the first Polynesians reach Hawaii. Herb Kane saw the name “Hokulea” to be a very fitting name for the revived canoe. In 1975, they launched the canoe, and it sailed around the islands to get it in the water for the first time. People would come down and sit around the canoe and look at it in awe. Many people thought it would not be built. It was! They thought that it would not sail. This canoe sailed! On May 1st, 1976, the Hokulea set sail and began its epic voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti, crossing 2,500 miles of water. On this first voyage, they had trouble finding a traditional navigator that could command the canoe. The Polynesian Voyaging Society had to look beyond Polynesia, and found Mau Piailug from an island called Satawal in Micronesia. This voyage would have never taken place without Mau Piailug because he was the only traditional navigator who was willing to reach outside his culture to help with the Hokulea. He “used the rising points of the stars, supplemented by observations of the sun, moon, and ocean swells, as a natural compass to guide the canoe. Even when days of solid cloud cover hid the stars, sun, and moon from sight, Mau was able to keep the canoe on course and keep in his mind an accurate picture of the canoe's progress toward Tahiti” (“Hokulea: The

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