Marshall Islands Journal Friday, July 27, 2007 18 Friday, July 27, 2007 — The Marshall Islands Journal The Marshall Islands Journal — Friday, July 27, 2007 19 CanoeCanoe reincarnation Part one of a three-part series said. At the time, Leon was somewhat of an anomaly, since very few canoes were being by GIFF JOHNSON Vessels of Ujelang and Wotho built in the late 1980s and the keepers of the knowledge were generally not sharing It’s hard to think about outrig- the information with the next generation ger canoes in the Marshall Islands — a reflection of how modernization and without Dennis Alessio’s name urbanization were shaping island attitudes. popping into mind. For nearly 20 “All the information was in people’s heads, years, Alessio has been at the heart but it was not being passed along.” of a revival of interest in canoe Among the things Alessio learned from building, sailing and navigation. Leon is that there are five main canoe Alessio left the Marshall Islands designs in the Marshall Islands, with three last week but his legacy in canoe styles. building continues to reverberate Alessio wrapped up the work with Leon through the Waan Aelon in Majel by producing a report with detailed diagrams (Canoes of the Marshall Islands) to help future canoe builders. But why stop program, now ably run by Alson at one canoe? The idea was hatched to con- Kelen. tinue the documentation program for the You might call his move to the other designs. Big Island of Hawaii the end of an Alfred Capelle, the curator of the mu- era, but thankfully not the end of seum, was very supportive of the idea, and a program. introduced Alessio to Chief Secretary Oscar As so many things in life are, deBrum, who was equally enthusiastic, tell- Alessio’s arrival here was quite ing Alessio, “canoes are in the heart of all by accident, despite his interest in Dennis Aliesio Marshallese.” These discussions sparked Pacific canoes. encouragement from President Amata Ka- A skilled wooden boat builder, bua, Senator Tony deBrum, local business- he was occupied in the late 1980s man Dennis Momotaro and others, Alessio with teaching the art of boat build- New course recalled. ing to students in the state of But there wasn’t any money for the work, Washington when he was asked and it was a shoestring existence for Alessio A former American Peace Corps volunteer who worked on Ujelang in to bring a team of carpenters and for Dennis for a while. He lived for a bit at the MariMed supervise all the woodworking on the mid-1970s snapped these fine photos of outrigger canoes. Above, Dennis Alessio came out to Marshall office in Uliga, and then was given a small the Tole Mour tall ship that was be- Ujelang islanders sail out on a fishing trip; right, a canoe on Wotho Islands aboard MariMed Foundation’s tall office at Alele. “I kept a mat there and often ing built in Seattle by the MariMed Atoll; and below, on Ujelang, Luta planes a wood plank that he used ship Tole Mour in 1988. Twenty years on, slept on the floor next to my desk,” Alessio Foundation for health service in the to repair the canoe in the background. By the 1980s, fewer and fewer he’s packed his bags, heading for new chal- recalled with a laugh. Marshall Islands. Tole Mour was canoes were being built and sailed both on the remote outer islands, lenges. The Jaluit canoe sent to the Field Museum modeled on the three-masted tall and especially in Majuro. Photos by David Anderson. Although Alessio in his modest way would had been done under a project known as ships that once plied the Pacific downplay the contributions he made to the Waan Aelon Kein (canoes of these islands), carrying trade goods between Asia revival of outrigger canoe culture in the Mar- and the documentation project kept the and the Americas. shall Islands, he has had as much — or more name. As he and the team got going — to do with it than any other individual. Alessio soon headed for Likiep to work on on installing the decks and all the But beyond the huge role in canoe work in a canoe with local master builders. cabinetry on the 156-foot vessel, the RMI, Alessio has had a big behind-the- “When I first arrived at Likiep, there was Alessio began researching the Mar- scenes impact on the development of the one canoe being used on Jebel or Melan” shall Islands and Pacific canoes. “I non-government organization sector. (small islands in Likiep’s lagoon), he said. didn’t see much information about His work promoting NGOs included found- “Other canoes were laying unused on the canoes generally, and none about ing Waan Aelon in Majel (WAM) program, beach, old and rotting.” how to build them,” he said. His helping establish the Marshall Islands Coun- Alessio proposed a canoe race with prizes interest in canoes dated back a few cil of NGOs four years ago, and elevating to get people excited about canoes, and years earlier to when he was in Fiji the profile of the NGO Council and other enlisted support from Carmen Bigler, the and involved in an international affiliated NGOs in the international donor Internal Affairs secretary. boat building training program. “I community. “We got 13 canoes fixed for the race all was in Fiji and I wanted to start He left Majuro last week for a new home the while we were working on building a a business of building Food and on the Big Island of Hawaii. new 18-foot canoe from a breadfruit log,” he Agriculture Organization (FAO) said, adding that each step was documented designed canoes for local fishing,” with photos and videotape. Alessio said. “But I had no money.” While on Majuro, he bumped into Gerry they’ve been building boats. Konou Smith, a “We involved Likiep students in the build- His work on Tole Mour segued into Knight, who was running Alele Museum at ‘To get around this “problem” in dealing with Alessio, high school student at the time, was involved ing project,” he said. “It was fantastic, living becoming a crew member. “The US Coast the time. Knight tried to sign up Alessio to an American, Leon did an island-style adoption of in the building project, Alessio recalls. outer islands life.” Guard required us to sail the vessel with work on an outrigger canoe documentation “I did the hull and Gennade built the other Race day brought out virtually every per- only six crew to show that Tole Mour was project that he was developing. But Alessio Alessio. “He called me ‘neju’ (my son) because he parts,” Alessio said. son on Likiep, and infused the community seaworthy,” Alessio told the Journal. had other fish in the frying pan after deliver- needed to do this to pass the information on to me.”’ This was not as simple as it sounds. A very with excitement for canoes. “It was quite a deal — six of us running ing Tole Mour. Though he was interested in few people in the country are considered The race and student participation at up to the top of the masts to open the sails Knight’s offer, he had already committed to master builders and traditional navigators. Likiep convinced Alessio that this was a — but we were so intimate with the ship a job in the Netherlands to finish a similar said. “The Field Museum provided money at Matt Holly’s place in Uliga. “Gennade Historically, this knowledge was not widely great formula for future canoe work in the (from building it), it worked well.” The tall ship. to buy him an outboard motorboat, but Gen- taught me how to build a canoe from a log, shared, but only passed along to carefully RMI. Coast Guard declared it seaworthy and a The following year, Alessio returned to nade didn’t want one. He wanted an outrig- using traditional measuring techniques.” selected sons or close relatives who proved few months later, in late 1988, the vessel the Marshalls to work with Alele Museum, ger built with a plywood hull.” Outriggers Understanding the traditional canoe design worthy of carrying on the skills to the next was sailed from the US to Majuro. which was sending a Jaluit outrigger to the Next week: Canoe building were virtually always built from breadfruit allowed Alessio to produce a “loft” — three generation. “When we delivered the ship to Majuro, I Field Museum to become part of a perma- involving Namdrik, Ailuk , logs, so Leon’s idea was a big departure views of the canoe, from the top down, from To get around this “problem” in dealing didn’t see any canoes in the lagoon,” Alessio nent exhibit on the Pacific islands at the from tradition, but one that would prove the side and up from the bottom — from with Alessio, an American, Leon did an Enewetak and Ujae master said. Later on, he saw one. “The one I saw famed Chicago museum. far more sustainable in the future, when which to build the canoe from plywood. island-style adoption of Alessio. “He called builders, the 1992 Pacific Festival was over by MJCC, owned by an older guy “Gennade Leon from Jaluit donated a breadfruit logs became more scarce. Wooden boat builders have used the “loft” me ‘neju’ (my son) because he needed to do of Arts, and the birth of Waan who used to go out fishing in it.” canoe of his for the Field Museum,” Alessio Alessio and Leon worked on a canoe design method for just about as long as this to pass the information on to me,” he Aelon in Majel.