Penny Martin (formerly Rawlins) has had a profound impact on the voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa and the Polynesian Voyaging Society. As one of the youngest crewmembers and one of only two women on Hōkūleʻa’s first iconic 1976 journey, she helped rekindle a cultural renaissance by demonstrating that traditional Polynesian navigation could guide a canoe across the Pacific. Over the decades, Penny has dedicated herself to educating future generations, helping bring Hōkūleʻa to her home island of Molokai for cultural events and school visits. Her commitment has strengthened community ties to Hōkūleʻa’s legacy, ensuring its role as a symbol of cultural pride and resilience.

Dr. Ben Finney, as co-founder of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and pioneering anthropologist, breathed life into Hōkūleʻa, transforming a voyaging canoe into a vessel of cultural renaissance that definitively proved ancient Polynesians were masterful navigators who intentionally settled the Pacific. His unwavering dedication to revitalizing traditional navigation techniques not only restored Native Hawaiians’ connection to their seafaring ancestors but ignited a cultural revival that continues to inspire Indigenous communities throughout Oceania to reclaim their maritime heritage.

Clement “Tiger” Espere was involved in the original construction of the Hokuleʻa, helping to ensure that she had a design consistent with a traditional Hawaiian Canoe. In addition, Tiger sailed with the Hokuleʻa in the mid-1990s.

Michael “Buddy” McGuire joined the Polynesian Voyaging Society in 1977 after a chance encounter led him to prepare Hōkūleʻa for its second voyage to Tahiti. His involvement spanned over 40 years, during which he saw Hōkūleʻa as a vessel for reclaiming Polynesian navigation history and sharing it with the world. Buddy became a cultural mentor and board member, helping to pass on his voyaging knowledge to a new generation through the Kānehūnamoku Voyaging Academy.