Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 3, 1 March 2006 — A canoe for the future [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A canoe for the future

The Maisu (pronounced mai-shu) is a 56-foot double-hulled Hawaiian eanoe with a single mast, similar to Hōkūalaka 'i, a eanoe launched last year as a floating classroom for the 'Aha Pūnana Leo Hawaiian immersion education program. In fact, both the canoes' hulls were cast from the same molds. Asked why he's building a Hawaiian style eanoe to bring to Micronesia instead of a Micronesian one, Mau says: "Me, I don't like the Micronesian eanoe. Before I use that kind because I don't know about the different style eanoe. But when I eome to Hawai'i and I see Hōkūle'a, I think, 'Oh, this kind is good, because stronger, faster, more food on top, more water, more people.' That's why when they ask me, 'Can we make one eanoe for you?' I say, 'Yeah, thank you. I like build one Hawaiian-style eanoe for the Micronesian people."' The Satawalese name Maisu refers to breadfruit that has been knocked to the ground by high wind. "When it stay breadfruit season in our island, and a strong wind coming and shake all the breadfruits down, then you ean go and collect it, even if it is not your tree," Mau says. "We eall that 'maisu."' In the same way, he says, the eanoe Maisu will be available for anyone to partake freely of its learning: "Today, Micronesia is becoming like Hawai'i - a lot of modern custom. So I am trying to have a eanoe to teach the kids navigation. They ean eome any time; the eanoe is gonna be there waiting." The building of a voyaging eanoe is an enormous undertaking, and the backers of Mau's ! aisu eanoe project are still in need of donations and other material support to help rig and supply the eanoe. To find out how to help, contact the Mau Piailug Fund at 594-1 8/8.

The Maisu under construction at Kawaiahae in late February. Mūu says he prefers Hawaiiansfyle canoes fo fradifional Micronesian ones because fhey are sfronger, bigger and faster. Photo: Courtesy of M?es Correa