The Hokulea Hawaiian traditional canoe Is Home

Hokulea Hawaiian voyaging vessel arrived to the cheers and tears of thousands of Hawaii residents after navigating around the world by means of ancient Polynesian wayfinding techniques.June 17, 2017 Hawaiian Edge Photo Ronen Zilberman

Hokulea Hawaiian voyaging vessel arrived to the cheers and tears of thousands of Hawaii residents after navigating around the world by means of ancient Polynesian wayfinding techniques.June 17, 2017 Hawaiian Edge Photo Ronen Zilberman

As the sun rose up over the city skyline of Honolulu Saturday morning, June 17, 2017, the revered Hokulea Hawaiian voyaging vessel arrived at the cheers and tears of thousands of Hawaii residents after navigating around the world by means of ancient Polynesian wayfinding techniques. Over three years the Hokulea (meaning star of gladness) sailed across 40,000 nautical miles visited19 countries without the use of modern technology to guide them. Crew members for each leg of the journey relied only on their combined knowledge of reading the seas, stars, and winds to find their way.

Hokulea Hawaiian voyaging vessel arrived to the cheers and tears of thousands of Hawaii residents after navigating around the world by means of ancient Polynesian wayfinding techniques.June 17, 2017 Hawaiian Edge Photo Ronen Zilberman

Hokulea Hawaiian voyaging vessel arrived to the cheers and tears of thousands of Hawaii residents after navigating around the world by means of ancient Polynesian wayfinding techniques.June 17, 2017 Hawaiian Edge Photo Ronen Zilberman

Also significant was their mission to spread a message of Malama Honua: Caring for the earth. Hokulea crew members were dedicated to modeling and sharing the traditional Hawaiian values of sustainable living and being trusted stewards of the ocean and planet. Master navigator Nainoa Thompson hopes that indigenous cultures will be inspired to not only revive their own traditions but also be moved to take action to help create solutions for the modern day climate change problems that face us on a world wide scale.

Hawaiian warriors dressed in traditional clothing await the arrival of the Hokulea sailing vessel as it returns, to Ala Wai Boat Harbor in Honolulu, after a four year voyage around the world. Caspi media Photo by Ronen Zilberman

Hawaiian warriors dressed in traditional clothing await the arrival of the Hokulea sailing vessel as it returns, to Ala Wai Boat Harbor in Honolulu, after a four year voyage around the world. Caspi media Photo by Ronen Zilberman

The effort to return the lost art of traditional navigation and the success of this monumental journey has become a strong source of pride and solidarity for the indigenous culture of Hawaii. For the next eight months, the Hokulea crew will travel throughout the Hawaiian islands visiting schools to share their experiences with the children of Hawaii and hear stories from their communities. Ever-continuing a passion built and launched in the 1970’s when Mau Piailug of Micronesia, one of the last remaining traditional navigators at that time, agreed to share his knowledge with founding members of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. The Hokulea has been making history, or better yet, reviving history ever since and how fortunate we are for the opportunity to become a part of a solution instead of the problem.

by Honolulu Vibes