Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 9, 1 September 1988 — Conference Gathers Keepers of An Ancient Art [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Conference Gathers Keepers of An Ancient Art

Skills At Risk In High-Tech World

Ten master eanoe builders and craftspeople from Hawaii and throughout the Pacific gathered at the Atherton Halau of Bishop Museum last month to share their skills and knowledge. The unprecedented conference brought together practitioners of an ancient art whieh is in real danger of being lost in today's high tech world. Sponsored by the Hawaii Maritime Center, the three-day Pacific Canoe Conference covered such diverse areas as "Performing Arts and Canoes," "Voyaging Canoes," "Pacific lsland Canoe Design," "NonInstrument Navigation," "Traditional Canoe Construction," "Canoe Sails, Paddles, Tradition, Omamentation, Ceremonies, Canoe Houses and Canoe Sheds."

Master eanoe builders eame from all parts of the Pacific — Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia — to take part in this extraordinary gathering. In his remarks of greeting, Congressman Daniel Akaka noted: "For the first time in history, brothers and sisters from throughout the Pacific have eome together to join in the celebration of our eommon legacy. . .to document, to learn, to broaden our understanding and knowledge of a very special heritage that only we in the Pacific

share. . .1 am struck by the awesome awareness that, as different as our lifestyles seem to be,. . .we are really so very mueh alike. We are fortunate to be here today to share in the wisdom of our similarities, not only for. ourselves, but for America, for the Pacific, and for the world." Conference Coordinator Kaniela Akaka, Jr. told Ka Wai Ola O OHA, "The purpose of the conference is to document the skills and know-

ledge whieh are involved in the art of traditional eanoe building." Akaka said he hopes this first ever

eanoe conference will be the forerunner of more such events in the future.

oww . mmmmmmm^w^mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm wn ' uunuw Master eanoe builders and translators gather around model of dugout eanoe from Likiep Atoll in the Marshall lslands. Left to right: Merota Ngamata, Cook lslands, translator Metua Ngarupe; Lino Olopai, Saipan; Seumanutafa Ta'a, Western Samoa; Fa'agalo Andrew, translator; Edeiuehel Eungel, Belau; Petrus Tawermai, Satawal; Tina Rehuher, translator; Bien Simon, Marshall lslands; Chief John Tamag, Yap. Not shown: Canoe builders Puaniho Tauotaha from Tahiti and Kemueli Bulusese and llaijia Lendua from Fiji.