The Hōkūle’a

8/12/2019 The Hōkūle’a

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The Hōkūle’a Modern Hawaiian Issues

By: Joshua Ryoma Terakubo

June 12, 2014



The Hōkūle’a is the Proving point of Hawaiian Migration in the pacific from

the Marquesas’ isles. The Hokulea is a high performance and accurate replica of a

Hawaiian double hull canoe called the Wa’a Kaulua made specifically to travel large

distances including the 2,000 miles from the Marquesas’ isles to Hawai’i. This

Migration was not a random thing and the Polynesians, who where soon to be called

the Hawaiian people navigated the vast distance between the Marquesas’ isles and

Hawai’i. This also makes the Hōkūle’a historically and culturally significant to

Hawai’i as some theories state that the Hawaiians who settled here where just a

lucky group of sailors which is near impossible due to the fact there is almost a 0%

chance to have been successful.

Historically the Hōkūle’a is one of survival, restoration, and was almost lost

once and close to being lost forever. But now today it is a story we will be telling our

grandchildren and passing on the history written to be remembered forever. The

Hōkūle’a means “Star of Gladness” and her beginnings where of the revival of the

exploration, ingenuity, and courage that the Hawaiians had when they traveled to

Hawai’i. The first Hawaiians used double hulled canoes that where never seen over

a period of 600 years a group of dreamers in the revival of Herb Kane’s hope to

restore these Pieces of Hawaiian life where brought together and created the

Hōkūle’a in 1970. Today the Hōkūle’a is more than just evidence that the original

Hawaiians made it to Hawai’i, “it is the representation of the desire shared by the

people of Hawai’i.”(Doc 1) The Hōkūle’a’s first voyage, the voyage to Tahiti in 1976

was a huge success the Tahitian genealogy and traditions led them to having many

ancestral canoes and navigators however they had no living and working voyaging



canoe. As the Hōkūle’a reached Tahiti in Pape’ete Harbor they where welcomed with

great affirmation of heritage and a renewal of spirit. Even great sayings have been

made into history upon the Hōkūle’a; in 1978 a voyage from Tahiti the Hōkūle’a

capsized or flipped over near the island of Moloka’i from a storm this lead Eddie

Aikau leading to the saying “Eddie would go” as he was the only one who wasn't at

risk or exposure as many of the crew where near death; “we could have quit. But

Eddie had this dream about finding islands the way our ancestors did and if we quit,

he wouldn’t have his dream fulfilled. He was saying to me, ‘Raise Hawaiki from the

sea.’”(Doc 2) Navigator Mau Piailug was one of the last traditional navigators who

was the first navigator of the Hōkūle’a and at the time one of the only traditional

navigators. He continued his teachings in Naihoa Thompson in 1979 and Naihoa was

soon to become the next Navigator of the Hōkūle’a. After 2 voyages to Tahiti the

Hōkūle’a started to do other voyages in the footsteps of their ancestors such as the

two-year voyage to Aotearoa (1985-1987) and one to Rapa Nui (1999). With each

voyage the Hōkūle’a rediscovered many factors in the navigation, discovery, and

settling of its ancestors.

Culturally the Hōkūle’a is significant to Hawai’i and the ancestry is very deeply

rooted in its rebirth and revival. Today the Hōkūle’a is on a WWV (world wide voyage)

towards the sustainability that Hawai’i and the world urgently need of. To the crew of the

Hōkūle’a the opportunity to inspire the current and future generations of leaders to care

for the Earth through the outreach, storytelling, science, and education outweighs every

risk of the voyage Naihoa Thompson says ““if you come from the lens of what the canoe

is supposed to do … it will do nothing if we’re tied to the dock.”(Doc 2) In the first



voyage to Tahiti the Hōkūle’a was faced with cultural extinction and the Voyaging

society looked for someone taught in the ways of traditional navigation and found Mau

Piailug a navigator from a small island of Micronesia called Satawal without his help the

first voyage to Tahiti would never have happened.

In current event s news the Hōkūle’a has been seen on a World Wide Voyage of

47,000 nautical miles and the crew have been rigorously trained over the past couple of

months before the expedition as well as the planning of the route took into play the

weather forecasts and temperatures of the waters over the area they would be sailing.

Another major thing that was planned for was the escort ships these ships would not be

there to aid the Hōkūle’a in navigation or journey however they will be documenting the

ship and also defending it from pirates who may become a threat in different parts of the

world such as Somaliland pirates. The PSV (Polynesian Voyaging Society) provides the

following overview of the WWV (World Wide Voyage) the Voyage is estimated to take

4 years over more that 20 countries and 60 ports, the Crew will be trained and ready for

any situation and selected based on certain criteria, Educationally WWV will used by

educators, Scientifically there will be samples implemented throughout the voyage, and

Communication which will be done orally and threw the use of tech to share stories and

updates.

The Hōkūle’a is very important to the people of Hawaii as it is our “Star of

Gladness” and all residents of Hawaii are linked to the Hōkūle’a historically or culturally

as it was reborn threw hopes and dreams of very few and taken to the international level

in current events such as the WWV which PSV has orchestrated to be a crowning

achievement of any double hulled canoe in history. In very near future the Hōkūle’a will



definitely be world renown for its feats and the Hōkūle’a will teach the world of

sustaining and of the Hawaiian ways of Aloha, Laulima, Kuleana, and O’hana



Bibliography

Doc 1 Internet

"The Story of Hōkūle’a - Hokulea." Hokulea The Story of Hokulea Comments. N.p., n.d. Web.

12 June 2014.

Doc 2 magazine

"Hōkūle'a : The Dangers of Sailing Around the World." News Watch. Daniel Lin, 4 Apr.

2014. Web. 13 June 2014. Doc 3 Internet

"Mission & Vision - Hokulea." Hokulea. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2014.

Doc 4 Book

Low, Sam. "Hawaiiki Rising." Hawaiiki Rising . N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2014.

The Hōkūle’a

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