Lehua Kamalu is the captain and navigator of Hōkūleʻa on the voyage along Kealaikahiki (Road to Tahiti) this April. As Hōkūleʻa’s first female captain and navigator, she reflects on what the two roles mean and becoming a leader.   

“You no longer say oh, let me ask my teacher, let me ask the kapena. Because you are the kapena now. And the way you decide who’s going to be on this crew, where are we going to go, how are we going to make this decision today about being prepared. It’s kind of all on you. And then you start to lose sleep a little bit.” – Lehua Kamalu 

Hawaiʻi stories created in Hawaiʻi by Kūmau Productions and Rock Salt Media

For more from Lehua Kamalu on the natural elements experienced along Kealaikahiki, read her article for AskNature.org here.