Why is the voyaging canoe Hokule a a powerful symbol for Hawaiians?
4 min read
Asked by: Luis Schmidt
Why is the voyaging canoe Hokulea a powerful symbol for Hawaiians?
The Hokule’a gave the Native Hawaiian people an identity; it became a symbol of hope for the survival of their culture. Now they call Hokule’a the mother ship because she spawned a new generation. Since that 1976 voyage, 25 more deep-sea-voyaging canoes have been birthed across 11 countries.
What is the Hokulea and why is it significant?
The Hōkūle’a is a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. Hōkūle’a literally translates to “Star of Gladness”. She is named after the star that travels directly above the lattitude of Hawai’i. Her first long-distance was from Hawai’i to Tahiti in 1976.
What was the purpose of the Polynesian sea going outrigger canoe?
Outrigger boats were originally developed by the Austronesian-speaking peoples of the islands of Southeast Asia for sea travel. It is believed that the use of outriggers may have been initially caused by the need for stability on small watercraft after the invention of crab claw sails some time around 1500 BCE.
What were Polynesian canoes used for?
The canoes were built to hold 1-2 people, and it was used primarily for fishing.
What happened in 2017 with the voyaging canoe the Hokulea?
She returned to port in Hawaii on June 17, 2017. The journey covered 47,000 nautical miles with stops at 85 ports in 26 countries. In between voyages, Hōkūle’a is moored at the Marine Education Training Center (METC) of Honolulu Community College in Honolulu Harbor.
What do they call a canoe in Hawaii?
waʻa
The outrigger canoe–in Hawaiian it is called a waʻa (vah-ah)–is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull.
What does Hokulea mean in Hawaiian?
Star of Gladness
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaiian Word of the Day is Hokule’a. Literally meaning “Star of Gladness,” Hokule’a is the name of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s inaugural voyaging canoe which made its first journey to Tahiti navigating by solely by stars in 1976.
What are traditional Hawaiian boats called?
The boat, the Hokule’a, took three years to journey around the globe. Its crew navigated without modern instruments, using only the stars, wind and ocean swells as guides.
What happened to the Hokulea?
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The voyaging canoes Hokulea and Hikianalia departed from Oahu on Monday after being delayed due to a COVID-19 exposure. A crew member on a training voyage tested positive for COVID-19, halting the original 7:30 a.m. departure.
How were voyaging canoes made?
The Polynesians’ primary voyaging craft was the double canoe made of two hulls connected by lashed crossbeams.
How big were Polynesian voyaging canoes?
These canoes ranged up to 20 m in length; they were used for deep-sea voyaging, and Haddon and Hornell suggest they could have been involved in early voyages to New Zealand (6).
How did Polynesians discover Hawaii?
The Hawaiian Islands were first settled as early as 400 C.E., when Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands, 2000 miles away, traveled to Hawaii’s Big Island in canoes. Highly skilled farmers and fishermen, Hawaiians lived in small communities ruled by chieftains who battled one another for territory.
Who named Hawaii?
Captain James Cook, RN, visited the islands on January 18, 1778, and named them the “Sandwich Islands” in honor of The 4th Earl of Sandwich, who as the First Lord of the Admiralty was one of his sponsors. This name was in use until the 1840s, when the local name “Hawaii” gradually began to take precedence.
What was Hawaii known for?
Hawaii is known for its beautiful beaches—some of them with unusual colors. Many beaches are filled with white sand, but other Hawaiian shores are covered with green, red, pink, and even black sand. Whether you like hiking, biking, kayaking, sailing, swimming, or just sitting on the beach, Hawaii is the state for you.
Why is Hawaiian culture important?
Today, Hawaiian culture may hold many of the answers sought in a rapidly changing world. The spirit of aloha – being in the presence of and sharing the essence of life – teaches us lessons of peace, kindness, compassion and responsibility to future generations.
What influenced Hawaiian culture?
Superb voyagers, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands migrated to Hawai`i more than 1,600 years ago. Polynesians were well established on the islands when, about 800 years ago, Polynesians from the Society Islands arrived in Hawai`i.
What are Hawaiians called?
Native Hawaiians, also known as Kanaka Maoli, are the indigenous or aboriginal people (and their descendants) of the Hawaiian islands. Their ancestors were the original Polynesians who sailed to Hawai’i and settled the islands around the 5th century AD.
