Balancing the Canoe
Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson and Hōkūleʻa Captain Lehua Kamalu describe trusting the natural world and the principles of adjusting the sails to balance the canoe. “The navigator needs to know…
Vigilance and the Gift of Voyaging – Bruce Blankenfeld
Pwo Navigator and Captain Bruce Blankenfeld describes the different aspects of crewing Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia and reflects on the opportunities that voyaging has given him. “When I think about voyaging…I…
Taputapuātea – Linking Our Past and Our Future
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia sailed to Marae Taputapuātea on the island of Raʻiātea on May 17, 2022. In doing so, they asked permission to enter the sacred pass of Teavamoʻa, honoring…
Hōkūleʻa in Tahiti – Then and Now
The arrival of Hōkūleʻa in Papeʻete, Tahiti, in May 2022 echoes the first arrival of the wa‘a in 1976. Community members recount the meaning of that first visit and describe…
Hikianalia – Bruce Blankenfeld
Pwo Navigator and Captain Bruce Blankenfeld describes the critical role of Hikianalia, the escort vessel and sister canoe of Hōkūleʻa. "The role for Hikianalia....is just for safety, for that one…
Pulling an Island
After more than two weeks of voyaging, Hōkūle’a and Hikianalia find land, first pulling the island of Arutua and then landing in Rangiroa on May 6, 2022. And it's a…
The Magic of Kealaikahiki
Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson explains why the ancient Polynesian sea road Kealaikahiki is the best training ground for young navigators. “I hope that in the next 50 years that we’ll…
Heritage Pūʻolo – Kealaikahiki, Marae Taputapuātea, and Moananuiākea
In this three-part series entitled “Illuminating Our Ancestral Connections,” learn more about Moananuiākea, the ancestral oceanic homeland of the indigenous people of the Pacific; Kealaikahiki, the heritage corridor traveled by…
Lessons of the Past – Fallacy of Drift Theory
Anthropologist Wade Davis and Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson discuss the fallacy of “accidental drift” and the promise ignited by the creation of a double-hulled sailing canoe. A best-selling book, an…