Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 7, 1 July 2017 — Aloha mai kākou, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha mai kākou,

On June 17, 2017, Hōkūle'a's Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage eame full circle, a tremendous achievement by its navigators, the kūpuna and mentors who paved the way, and the haumāna and 'ōpio inspired to honor ancient wayfinding traditions. For more than three years, Hōkūle'a followed the path of our ancestors, using Hawaiian science, Polynesian knowledge, the stars, the heavens, the winds and the currents to spread the message of mālama 'āina and mālama moana across the globe. Recent "king tides" offer a glimpse of the threat Hawai'i and other Paeihe islands face if oeean levels continue to rise, adding a sense of urgency to the Mālama Honua message here at home. As Hōkūle'a circumnavigated the globe, it raised awareness about the impacts of climate change and emphasized the need to use science and traditional knowledge to protect the earth. The worldwide voyage was only possible because of those who eame before, among them Herb Kane, Pinky Thompson, Mau Piailug, Eddie Aikau, Ben Finney and Clay Bertelmann. Because of their vision, Hōkūle'a's first homecoming from Tahiti in 1976 heeame the genesis of the Hawaiian Renaissance, uplifting ourpeople and inspiring us to stand in our homeland with pride, with dignity and with mana. Today, our 'ōlelo makuahine lives, our culture lives, and so, our kūpuna live. In 1976, there were few master navigators, and none in Polynesia. Mau Piailug, of Micronesia, led that maiden voyage to Tahiti and helped Hawaiians reclaim our voyaging traditions. Nainoa Thompson was 24 at Hōkūle'a's first homeeoming and 28 when he successfully replicated the original Tahiti voyage as lead navigator. Last month, he empowered a new generation of wayfinders to guide

Hōkūle'a home, with Pomai Bertelmann as captain and Ka'iulani Murphy as navigator. Welcoming Hōkūle'a home was a kākou effort, with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Kamehameha Schools in the lead. OHA eonducted community workshops where thousands leamed the four mele and oli that welcomed the 'ohana wa'a. We also found kia'i, or guards, to protect sacred areas during the arrival. .

Hōkūle'a's mission aligns perfectly with OHA's mandate to protect our natural and cultural resources, a priority we've put $21 million toward since 20 1 1 . One recipient of that funding is j the Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy, whieh teaches youth I about traditional voyaging and shows them how their culture I

ean lead to careers in the maritime industry. Seeing all the keiki, all the haumāna, stand when called i on to be recognized at the homecoming ceremony was a I powerful illustration of the pride Hōkūle'a inspires even ' in those who were born after its maiden voyage. This is the impact, this is the inspiration, this is the courage of our people through whieh our culture lives. 'O au iho nō me ke aloha a me ka 'oia'i'o, Kamana'opono M. Crabbe, Ph.D. Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive 0fficer

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A NEW ERA 0 F VOYAG I N G