Austin Kino Guides O'ahu Visitors on Canoeing Excursions and Practices

Austin Kino guides O‘ahu visitors on canoeing excursions and practices traditional Polynesian wayfinding methods.

120 alaska beyond AUGUST 2017 THE WAY OF THE CANOE HAWAI‘I’S VOYAGING TRADITION BY ERIC LUCAS

Aiming his double-hulled voyaging canoe into the 4-foot Pacific swell southeast of O‘ahu, Austin Kino knows exactly how fast we are going. It’s a lovely summer afternoon at 21 degrees north latitude. We are under sail, and Kino is holding the vessel on course by deploying his paddle like a rudder. He’s using centuries-old navigation science to measure our speed: counting bubbles. It sounds simple, but it represents an art that has sparked the Hawaiian cultural renaissance and re- written people’s understanding of human history. The term used to describe this art is wayfinding, and it is a cultural current in Hawai‘i today that has the power to enlighten, entertain, educate and empower all who visit the Islands. “I know how long the canoe is, and how many seconds it takes the bow bubbles to reach the stern— and a little simple math tells me we’re making about 5 knots right now,” Kino explains, grinning. Our vessel, the 30-foot trimaran Uluwehi, is a 21st century representative of one of the world’s most amazing nautical traditions. The canoe’s predeces- sors, and Kino’s ancestors, crossed thousands of miles on Earth’s largest ocean, using celestial navigation and knowledge of the sea that was passed down orally from generation to generation. Wayfinders search the sky to measure star posi- tions and angles. They memorize stars, and where the holokino hawai'i holokino stars appear in the sky at different times and from

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different places. They check the c o Kailua-Kona position of the sun at dawn and dusk. They read the winds and currents on the open ocean. They watch for birds that ply the sea but live on land. And

they gauge the size, shape and direc- olynesian Voyaging S tion of waves. A master wayfinder can be asleep below deck and sense

when a craft is off course simply by Courtesy:V, P the way it breasts the swells. “If you can read the waves, you can’t ever be lost,” Kino says.

Wayfinding skillsare part of a sys- ight, sam kapoi / Ōiwi T iety; R

tem devised to travel accurately and c o deliberately across the Pacific. The current understanding is that people @zakshelhamer arrived in Hawai‘i around the year Blown away by just 1000, says DeSoto Brown, historian at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum, a olynesian Voyaging S how wild the island leading institution devoted to Poly- of Hawai‘i feels. nesian culture, although there is

#LetHawaiiHappen much discussion about the arrival Courtesy:V, P #VisitislandofHawaii being earlier. Between a.d. 1000 and 1500, Polynesians were regularly taking long voyages between Hawai‘i and Tahiti, and Hawai‘i and the Marquesas Islands—in some cases

crossing 2,500 miles of open ocean. eft, na'alehu anthony / Ōiwi T “Western culture long considered Jaevhyn, 7 Polynesian expansion across the Kapolei Pacific a primitive venture that de- lymphoid leukemia pposite page, L pended on blind luck,” says Brown. O I wish to go to Disney World “In fact, for thousands of years, the Polynesians’ approach was the best navigation science in the world. Europeans were clinging to coast- lines to ‘explore’ the world. Polyne- ALASKA sians were crossing the world’s biggest ocean repeatedly.” AIRLINES Once almost vanished from the TAKES WISHES planet, wayfinding has undergone a TO NEW HEIGHTS. renaissance for which Hawai‘i is the Kealakekua Bay HELP MAKE WISHES SOAR focal point. Kino’s craft is a small- DONATE YOUR MILES NOW HAWAII.WISH.ORG/ALASKAAIR scale replica of the voyaging canoes that have been built over the past 40 years. Kino’s business, Holokino Hawai‘i, takes O‘ahu visitors out to sea almost every day from The

122 alaska beyond AUGUST 2017 the shore at Ala Moana Regional Park, and a daylong festival celebrated the achieve- ments of 245 crew members who had taken turns on the canoe on its various legs around the world. Well-wishers came from across the Pacific, some in their own voyaging canoes. Traditional Polynesian song, chant and dance honored the occa- sion. Governor of Hawai‘i David Ige and Mayor of Honolulu Kirk Caldwell offered proclamations. The latter gave Polynesian Voyaging Society President Nainoa Modern wayfinders use traditional methods on canoe voyages, such as navigating by the stars, left. Thompson a key to the city. Explorer Nainoa Thompson, right, has been one of the modern leaders in reviving such traditions. It was an exhilarating and deeply meaningful day, and it was the climax of the experience gives travelers the chance around-the-world journey called Mālama an incredible story of cultural revival and to gain a vivid, one-hour taste of voyaging. Honua—which can be translated as “to dedication to a simple, unorthodox idea. Kino is an apprentice navigator who care for our Island Earth.” After three has practiced the art of wayfinding on the years, more than 40,000 miles, 150 ports, “Which is more dangerous, the hurricane most famous voyaging canoe of all, the and 23 countries and territories visited, or the pirate—or keeping Hōkūle‘a tied to Hōkūle‘a. This vessel recently crowned 40 the 62-foot Hōkūle‘a returned to Honolulu the dock because we are too scared to go?” years of voyaging revival by completing an on June 17. More than 20,000 people lined That’s how Thompson, the voyaging

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society president, describes the c o dilemma that faced the PVS when it was first suggested that Hōkūle‘a sail Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. around the world. But it serves to For the Tour of a Lifetime, depict the revival of voyaging itself

Every Time. when Hōkūle‘a first launched in 1975. olynesian Voyaging S Back then, many Western historians Far beyond the beaches and hotels Bose® noise-canceling headsets, and anthropologists scoffed at the

and places you can drive to, and two-way communication idea that Polynesians had deliberate- Courtesy:V, P there’s another Hawaii—the between you and your pilot, ly and artfully settled the Pacific by real Hawaii of iconic sights, a State of Hawaii Certified cascading waterfalls, gorgeous Tour Guide. Experience the sailing double-hulled canoes over the tropical vistas, fiery lava flows, ultimate in aerial touring with open ocean. In the 1950s, a professor and lush rainforests. Blue Blue Hawaiian Blue Hawaiian—the world’s in New Zealand wrote a book de-

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student at the University of Hawai‘i, Courtesy:V, P read the book and disputed it. He later joined famed Hawaiian painter Herb Kāne and sailor Tommy Holmes “TOO GOOD TO MISS” to form the Polynesian Voyaging Society; they built Hōkūle‘a, launched it in 1975, and scoured the Pacific for eft, na'alehu anthony / Ōiwi T someone who could teach them traditional navigation. This seemed im- possible, until they found Mau Piai- pposite page, L lug, a master navigator in Micronesia, O The Ultimate in who agreed to pass on his knowledge Hawaiian-Style Fun! and help them sail Hōkūle‘a to Tahiti, using no instruments at all. That voyage was successfully completed in 1976, and it challenged a longstanding Western view of history. Yes, Polynesians could have Step onto our beautiful,, secluded and deliberately settled the Pacific. And private beach – “35 minutes and 100 years” away from the hurried pace of Waikiki! the work to clarify our understand- From the ssumptuous all-you-can-eat feast ings continues today. Some studies with your favorite beverages and exotic have, for example, suggested that cocktails…to the Polynesian extravaganza with the exciting Fire Knife Dance, people could have reached the Amer- it’’s a fun-filled evening that will bring ican mainland by sea long ago, in Hawaii home to your heart! addition to crossing the Bering Land For Free Hotel Pickup call: Bridge. Could people also have trav- 949-6626 or 941-3338 eled between Hawai‘i and North or

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124 alaska beyond AUGUST 2017 After a three-year worldwide voyage, the June homecoming of Hōkūle‘a to Honolulu was a much-heralded event. Under sail, as below, the vessel is an impressive sight.

dotal detail is that a form of the sweet Hōkūle‘a to the mainland, Micronesia, potato is a traditional Hawaiian staple Canada, Japan and other Pacific islands. food—and is native to South America. In 1992, Hawai‘i-raised astronaut Charles Lacy Veach suggested a journey Nainoa Thompson was a young crew around the world. The PVS debated it for member on the 1976 Tahiti voyage; over years, with many constituents arguing it the next three decades, he helped guide was too dangerous. Adventurous voices

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EXPLORE OUR HAWAII

August 2017 Alaska Beyond 125 WHEN YOU GO

Hawai‘i visitors have many ways to learn about voyaging. A few follow. • Kevin Piilani Hoke draws a map of the Pacific in the sand to begin his Hawaiian Culture & Turtle Tour, an hourlong excursion from the broad, golden-sand beach at Maui’s Grand Kauai Big i sland Wailea. On this exceptional paddling experience, Hoke explains celestial navigation and introduces guests to Hawaiian ocean ways. • Greg McCartney’s Stars Above Hawaii program is offered at Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko Olina, Tuesday and Friday evenings. • Austin Kino’s Holokino Hawai‘i sailing excursions are available by prebooking at The Kahala Hotel & Relaxed Hawaiian Cuisine • Live Music & Hula Resort on O‘ahu. Umbrella Drinks • Big Island Beachfront Cottages • ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, on Hawai‘i Island, includes exhibits on sipsavorstay.com culture, astronomy and voyaging. LUana HospI taLIty GR oUp RestaURant C oLLeCtIon • The J. Watumull Planetarium at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu has daily shows explaining wayfinding. Explorer Voted Best Boat Tour, 6 Times! Nainoa Thompson once used the planetarium to refine his knowledge. —E.L.

eventually won out, and Hōkūle‘a set sail in May 2014, traveling to Tahiti, Na Pali Coast Adventures New Zealand, Australia, Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, the American East Coast, through the Panama Canal to Easter Island and home to Hawai‘i. Rotating crew members ranged from master navigators, such as Thompson, to apprentices, such as Kino; astronomers, sailors, jour- nalists, cultural leaders, anthropologists and educators. Wet, Wild & Wow! • Na Pali Snorkel Tours Linda Furuto is a University of • Sea Caves • Waterfalls Hawai‘i at Mānoa professor of math- • Dolphins • Turtles • Sunset Dinner Cruises ematics education. She took part in December • Whale Watching through April six legs of Mālama Honua (of about with this ad four to six weeks each). SAVE $20 PER COUPLE restrictions apply “The Hōkūle‘a’s voyage made my (808) 335-5309 classroom the world, and the voyage www.Kauaiseatours.com helps form a bridge between 21st century knowledge and indigenous Since 1986 knowledge that is really just as

126 alaska beyond AUGUST 2017 V valid,” Furuto says. She teaches a branch his thumb to the horizon, and his pinky of math called ethnomathematics, which reaches the North Star, he is at about the links indigenous wisdom and modern latitude of Hawai‘i (21 degrees north). learning. She says wayfinding is a way to “As it happens, the Hawaiian Islands make math relevant to indigenous young- are the only Polynesian islands where you sters and elders. can see both the North Star and the Just as canoe voyaging forms connec- Southern Cross,” says Greg McCartney, an enter, na'alehu anthony / Ōiwi T c tions between modern and traditional astronomer who teaches the night sky to knowledge, it is also a unifying force. visitors at Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at “If there is a symbol of Hawai‘i, it’s the Ko Olina, west of Honolulu. Setting up a canoe,” says Timothy Lara, an apprentice telescope on the lawn by the hotel, he navigator and owner-operator of Hawaiian shows visitors constellations and stars

Water Sports on Maui. He takes visitors to Master navigator Mau Piailug, shown at right, in both familiar and exotic, and explains how sea in traditional paddling canoes, incor- 2007, helped pass his knowledge on to modern important star knowledge was historically porating information about wayfinding explorers such as Nainoa Thompson, left. to Polynesians. Also, how entertaining. techniques such as star maps. “The classic “There were no televisions back then,” Western view of the ocean is that it divides McCartney notes. “No Facebook or video- us. The Polynesian view is that it joins us.” digits tucked in. It’s widely interpreted to games. Either you went outside and stud- be a greeting that means “all’s well.” ied the sky, or you went to bed. It wasn’t Take a moment to form the famous Hawai- The shaka serves a profound naviga- hard to watch the stars from land. Navi- ian hand symbol, the shaka, with thumb tional function for Kino: If he extends his gating 2,000 miles of open ocean on a and little finger splayed wide, and other arm with his hand in shaka position, with voyaging canoe with the fate of your crew

August 2017 Alaska Beyond 127 Hawaii Titanium Rings Made in your hands—that would be more in Hawaii difficult.” Today’s master Polynesian wayfinders know far more than a couple of constellations, of course; for voyages to and from Hawai‘i, navigators use four main “star lines”—as they are called—which identify paths of stars in the sky overhead that guide the path of a canoe on the ocean. Now that Hōkūle‘a has returned home, its next destination has yet Nature’s finest elements combined to be determined. It and its sister canoe, Hikianalia, will be sailing the to create the perfect ring. Hawaiian Islands for the next year or two, visiting dozens of local communities to spread the idea of voyaging as both reality and meta- phor. Visit hokulea.com/vessels to learn more about these canoes and Call for locations 808-756-1173 their continuing voyages. And many other voyaging canoes have been www.HawaiiTitaniumRings.com built or are under construction throughout Hawai‘i now. “Hōkūle‘a will always be the Maui Condos mother ship,” says Dennis Chun, an Oceanfront • Beachfront • instructor in Hawaiian Studies at Golf Course Kaua‘i Community College and one FARMERS, RANCHERS, FISHERMEN of the creators of Nāmāhoe, the AND COUNTRY HOME OWNERS Garden Island’s major voyaging NEED AN canoe. “But each community’s canoe AGRICULTURAL LOAN? represents our own way to celebrate Purchase open land, operating loans, line of our heritage, to learn that the ancient credit, equipment purchase, truck or automobile scientists and adventurers had just Your Piece of purchase, livestock purchase, refinance a Paradise mortgage or an agreement of sale. as much value as 21st century scien- Both the Federal Land Bank Association of Hawaii, tists and adventurers.” Come, walk on the beach, FLCA and Hawaii Production Credit Association And as Hōkūle‘a, Hikianalia and snorkel, golf, or just relax in can custom design a loan to meet your needs. one of our studio, 1, 2, or We Offer: Long term loans, short term loans, the other canoes sail the islands, 3-Bedroom condos at competitive interest rate programs, flexible their navigators and crew members repayment schedules, excellent loan servicing 20 different locations in options, and many more. We also have programs are indisputable rock stars of modern Kihei, Wailea, for Young, Beginning, Small and Minority Farmers Kahana & Kapalua CALL ONE OF OUR LOAN OFFICERS AT: - - OAHU OFFICE: 99-860 Iwaena St., Suite A, Aiea, HI 96701 na kalai wa'a Ph: 808 836-8009 • Fax: 808 836-8610 • www.hawaiifarmcredit.com Call us on Maui today HILO OFFICE: 988 Kinoole St., Hilo, HI 96720 Ph: 808 836-8009 • Fax: 808 961-5494 THE WAY OF THE CANOE to save with our best rate! From: Neighbor Islands, Toll Free 1 800 894-4996 • Take care of your canoe. 855.420.9905 • Take care of your crew. FARM CREDIT • Be prepared for weather. SERVICES OF HAWAII, ACA • Always know your course. FCS of Hawaii, ACA is part of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide system of leading agricultural financial institutions which started in 1917. FCS of Hawaii, ACA has been doing —The Voyaging Philosophy business in Hawaii since 1966 through its subsidiary the Federal Land Bank Association of Hawaii, FLCA. The FCS of Hawaii, ACA is not a Federal Agency of the Federal Government. Registered with Nationwide Mortgage Licensing www.MauiCondo.com System (NMLS ID# 613610).

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Mary Kennedy - Dest Marketing Hawaii [email protected] image on the covers of magazines, and is for two millennia. When you see them an occasional model for Hawaiian clothing sailing into the Hawaiian evening, sails purveyors. Almost everyone associated spread high and proud, their significance with voyaging and wayfinding enjoys is evident. From the original radical respected status in Hawai‘i today—and adventurers—Finney, Kāne, Holmes and every single one of them deflects admira- Thompson—to the young explorers of tion to a discussion of what the voyaging today who aspire to follow them, the renaissance means to Hawaiian people voyaging heritage represents both history and the Aloha State. and 21st century life. The benefits of its “He wa‘a he moku, he moku he wa‘a,” lessons belong to Hawaiians, and to us says Kimokeo Kapahulehua, president all. We are all on a voyage, stars above us,

Polynesian Voyaging Society President Nainoa of Hui o Wa‘a Kaulua, Maui’s major voy- planet beneath us. iety c aging society. “‘A canoe is an island, and o Thompson, right, continues to teach wayfinding for future explorations. an island is a canoe.’ Seems like if we Eric Lucas lives on San Juan Island, in applied that thought to our planet, we’d Washington state. be better off, I think: Apply Aloha. Take Hawai‘i. Simply say “Nainoa” and many of care of the air and land and ocean, and Alaska Airlines offers daily service to the state’s residents will know who you they will take care of us—that’s what O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island are naming; kids clamor for selfies with voyaging is about.” (Kona). For flight reservations, visit him; adults seek his autograph; audiences They are stately, sturdy vessels, these alaskaair.com. Book a complete Alaska olynesian Voyaging S Voyaging P olynesian Courtesy: listen avidly to his tales and insights. marvelous double-hulled canoes that Airlines Vacations package to Hawai‘i at Meanwhile, Austin Kino finds his own have carried people across the Pacific alaskaair.com/vacations.

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