Worldwide Voyage: What Guides Us

A plaque sits in the aft hatch of the wa‘a (canoe) and memorializes all those who committed themselves and their lives to the legacy of the wa‘a. These men and women sacrificed, so that we could be here today, sailing on this vast ocean of Moananuiākea in the wake of our predecessors.

The fullness of the Akua moon rises astern of Hōkūle‘a as the great arms of Kānehoalani, the sun, reach longingly for the watery depths of Kanaloa below. This vast liquid realm he governs has been our home for a number of days.

As we meld into our time on the ocean, we deepen our personal relationships with our Mama Hōkūle‘a and the vast number of kūpuna who encircle us each day.

Heiau and Te Ariki Tū, our kumuhonua,  are the center of our universe and enable our lā to stand in place like the great trees of the forest. They encase our pe‘a who capture the wind that La‘amaomao creates for us.

Tumoanatane, Tommy, and the consistent Kawainui, whose work is never ending, guide us to our destination with each intentional dip into Kanaloa.

At our ceremony at Rangitahua, Uncle Mel shared, “Being on the canoe is a way for me to be with my family and friends of the canoe again. I miss them, so it’s good to be here.”

These men and women who he speaks of are here with us in spirit, they are with us in our dreams, they are with us as the stories of the experienced are retold and are given life once again.

In the light of the full moon and the brilliance of the sun, the radiant eyes of Kiha Wahine o Ka Mao o Malu Ulu o Lele come to life. She is the feminine, the Hina, the Haumea. She watches over us day in and out, subtly encouraging, vigorously reminding, and gently enmbracing our collective fluidity through her ancient stare.

It is not by chance that on this leg of the voyage, a majority of our sustenance from Kanaloa is landed on the Hina side of the wa‘a where she resides.

It is as though she is calling out to the realm of the sea to feed the kanaka honua who are under her gaze. The wind lifts her hair and like tentacles of Fa‘atupuitehau, the great he‘e of the Pacific whose arms stretch far and wide connecting people, she connects the kanaka honua of the wa‘a to the nuances of the elements. She is the center of the great net that brings all the necessary elements together, enabling the canoe to rightfully take her place on the ocean. She is made of a native wood of our forests, becoming a representation of Lea, the goddess of canoe builders often times represented in the form of the ‘Elepaio bird and the wife of Kūmokuhāli‘i.

Her ties to the Honua and the Kanaloa encourage us as kanaka honua to achieve balance in our lives so that transitions in our life can happen seamlessly and with fluidity. ❖

Fa‘atupuitehau Hina/Haumea Kanaka Honua Kawainui Kūmokuhāli‘i Kumuhonua Lā Lea/Le‘a Pe‘a Tommy Tumoanatane

He‘e of Mo‘orea Tahiti, bringing genealogies of the Pacific together Mother, Kupuna, Creator, Genesis Canoe Member Center Sweep God of the forest, God of canoe builders Mast Step Standing Rigging, Mast, Spar, Boom Goddess of canoe builders, ‘elepaio, wife of Kūmokuhāli‘i/Mokuhāli‘i Sail Side Sweep, ‘Akea Hull Side Sweep, Ama Hull

Used with permission by Pomai Bertlemann.

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