(Rorotonga), Tahiti Nui and ‘A‘a Kahiki for our islands, our , our ocean. (For Nui (Tahiti). more information see Voyage of Rediscovery: A Cultural Odyssey through Nainoa himself would be quick to point by Ben Finney (University of out that his accomplishments were not California Press, 1994).) something that he achieved alone. “It’s not a one-man show. I just do the navigation,” Haunani-Kay Trask—arts & humanities he once said during an interview. He is quick (literature), community leadership, culture, to give credit to other key figures in his education, mana wahine, politics. As a life—his family; , Tommy political scientist and Native Hawaiian, Holmes, and Ben Finney, co-founders of the Haunani-Kay Trask has dedicated her life to Polynesian Voyaging Society; , the issue of Hawaiian rights, self determina- from whom he learned the art of navigation; tion, and sovereignty, particularly for land and the countless number of others, from rights, including international work at the crew members to community members, who United Nations. Under her leadership, the helped him achieve his dreams and accom- Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University plish his goals. But as the first Hawaiian since of Hawai‘i at Mänoa came into being. She the 14th century to navigate thousands of also served as co-scriptwriter of the 1993 miles across the vast Pacific Ocean on a award-winning documentary An Act of War: traditionally designed canoe and using only The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation. traditional navigational techniques, Nainoa Besides her political work, Trask is an accom- has become a symbolic leader to many plished and internationally recognized poet. Hawaiians today. Not surprisingly, in a (For more information see her publications Advertiser poll, Nainoa had the From a Native Daughter (Common Courage highest favorable rating of Native Hawaiian Press, 1993; revised ed. University of Hawai‘i leaders, despite never holding political Press, 1999); Light in a Crevice Never Seen office. (Calyx Books, 1996); and Night is a Sharkskin Drum (University of Hawai‘i Press, forthcom- While claiming retirement from navigating ing 2002).) future voyages, Nainoa continues to train new navigators and crewmembers for the Mililani Trask—community leadership, Höküle‘a and her growing ‘ohana of canoe law, mana wahine, politics. Attorney Mililani siblings. Nainoa has thus had more time to Trask, along with the Trask family (including focus on his other interests, namely educa- sister Haunani-Kay Trask), has dedicated tional and environmental issues. For exam- her life to fighting for Native Hawaiian ple, Nainoa has been a visible spokesperson sovereignty. She was a trustee for the Office for the Polynesian Voyaging Society and of Hawaiian Affair and for many years she Honolulu Star-Bulletin’s literacy campaign, served the Hawaiian people as founder “Literacy is a Lifelong Voyage.” He has also and kia‘äina (governor) of Ka Lähui spoken to thousands of school children and Hawai‘i (“The Hawaiian Nation”), the community groups across Hawai‘i and on the largest entity in the forefront of the struggle continent on caring for the environment. His for self-determination. Mälama Hawai‘i message has stressed the need for everyone to get involved in caring

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