After Māʻalaea, Hōkūleʻa Headed to Kahoʻolawe
For the last two weeks, Hōkūleʻa has been docked at Māʻalaea where the crew has been hosting students and the community for tours and presentations as part of the Pae ʻĀina Statewide Sail. The last crew engagement on Maui will be a presentation by Pwo Navigator Bruce Blankenfeld and the crew at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary this evening at 6 pm. Hōkūleʻa is scheduled to depart Māʻalaea for Kahoʻolawe early Friday morning.
Hōkūleʻa will be welcomed to Honokanaiʻa by the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO) and Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC), which have a long-standing history and connection with the canoe. In the 1970’s, the stopping of the bombing of Kahoʻolawe and the birth of Hōkūleʻa to revive ancient Hawaiian voyaging were simultaneously part of the movement of what would become the Native Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance. Twenty years ago, the “Early Warriors” of Kahoʻolawe and the “Early Voyagers” of Hōkūleʻa came together to reconnect and reaffirm their common history and goals, and at that time they rededicated Kahoʻolawe as a sacred navigational center.
“Next year, Hōkūleʻa celebrates 50 years and the following year, the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana celebrates its 50 years of Aloha ʻAina. We are honored to sail to Kahoʻolawe. We do so with deep respect and gratitude for this special place and all who have worked to reclaim, restore and heal the island,” said Polynesian Voyaging Society CEO Nainoa Thompson.
Hōkūleʻa will be in Honokanaiʻa, Kahoʻolawe for about two days, then may possibly sail to southwest Maui’s Keoneʻōʻio Bay, also known as La Perouse, which voyagers call “the gate” to one of the most dangerous channels in the world, the Alenuihāhā channel between Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. Thompson says when you cross the channel you must “pay attention to nature, be humble and pay respect,” as it is known for strong winds and large, steep waves. Keoneʻōʻio Bay allows a safe place for Hōkūleʻa to tuck in before peeking out to see the conditions of the Alenuihāhā.
After La Perouse, Hōkūleʻa will sail to Hawaiʻi Island for a more than two-week engagement that includes Miloliʻi and Honaunau (Oct. 28 to Nov. 1), Keauhou (Nov. 1-8) and Kawaihae (Nov. 8-15). A public engagement schedule will be announced soon.
The Pae ʻĀina sail is part of Hōkūleʻa’s larger mission to sail around the Hawaiian Islands, engaging communities in cultural and educational experiences and exchanges focused on mālama honua (caring for our island Earth). Each stop allows students and the general public alike to connect with the legacy of exploration, environmental stewardship, and aloha ʻāina that Hōkūleʻa embodies.
