5 Wayfinding Reads to Celebrate 50 Years of Hōkūle‘a

The art and science of wayfinding has a rich and meaningful place not only in Hawai‘i’s history, but also in cultures throughout Oceania. Long before the advent of modern GPS, the people across the Pacific Islands relied on their study of the stars, sun, waves and other natural indications to navigate the open seas. In an effort to reclaim and perpetuate traditional knowledge for future generations, Hōkūle‘a was launched from the sacred shores of Hakipu‘u-Kualoa on March 8, 1975. Over the last 50 years, she has sailed more than 140,000 nautical miles across the Pacific while completing 15 deep-sea voyages.

More than just a milestone birthday for Hōkūle‘a, the forthcoming 50th is also a celebration of the wayfinding history and legacy that unites the Pacific peoples and a call to action for the future of environmental stewardship. In launching their vision, the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) ushers forth a renewed focus on “protecting the earth’s oceans, fostering indigenous knowledge, and inspiring the next generation to embrace the values of Mālama Honua.”

In the spirit of voyaging for a better future, we’re proud to highlight these adult and children’s books that connect cultures and people from across the Pacific to celebrate the tradition of wayfinding.

SEE ALSO: Hōkūle‘a’s 50th Anniversary

Photo: Courtesy of Da Shop: Books + Curiosities

Mālama Honua

by Jennifer Allen

A stunning collection of photographs, narrative, and voices, Mālama Honua is a comprehensive account of Hōkūle‘a’s 2014 Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, a 42,000-mile open-ocean journey around the world using only ancient Polynesian wayfinding techniques. Here, we hear from the navigators themselves, along with the scientists, educators, and even children who’ve been touched by Hōkūle‘a and engaged in championing its mission to raise awareness of and nurture worldwide sustainability.

Canoes of Oceania

by Alfred C. Haddon / Haddon & Hornell

Originally published as a trilogy in 1936 and 1938, Canoes of Oceania is a classic work that’s now widely regarded as an encyclopedic source of information about the ocean-going vessels of the Pacific. It’s believed that founders of the Polynesian Voyaging Society had consulted this text in their early days, spending hours in the Bishop Museum Archives where Canoes of Oceania first emerged. Intensively researched and thoughtfully compiled, Canoes of Oceania is a necessary and invaluable work.

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Reawakened: Traditional Navigators of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa

by Jeff Evans

Reawakened features interviews with 10 master navigators from Aotearoa New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Hawai‘i, all of whom were trained under Mau Piailug, Micronesian master navigator from the island of Satawal. While each navigator offers their own unique stories, braided throughout the book is the joyful renaissance of tradition and ancestral knowledge around Pacific voyaging, recalling for readers the shared heart that beats behind this vital practice.

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Eddie Wen’ Go: The Story of the Upside-Down Canoe

by Marion Lyman-Mersereau

To introduce young readers to the legacy of Hōkūle‘a, we recommend Eddie Wen’ Go, a moving and inspirational tale of courage at sea. In this heartwarming picture book, author and Hōkūle‘a crewmember Marion Lyman-Mersereau imagines a continuation of beloved waterman Eddie Aikau’s paddling mission through the perspective of the creatures in the sea and the sky who were present in the water on that fateful day. Through eye-catching illustrations and an unforgettable story penned by Lyman-Mersereau, little readers will come to understand a vital part of Hawai‘i’s history.

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Pathway of the Birds: The Voyaging Achievements of Māori and Their Polynesian Ancestors

by Andrew Crowe

Lauded for its extensive research comprising over 400 maps, diagrams, photographs, and illustrations, Pathway of the Birds is a major scholarly work investigating the history of voyaging throughout Polynesia with a focus on Māori navigators. Grounding the book is a compelling story of migration and human ingenuity that’s written for audiences both general and scholarly. This is a wonderful book for readers of all interests.

To learn more about the 50th birthday of Hōkūle‘a and to follow along with her continuing journey, visit hokulea.com.

Da Shop: Books + Curiosities, 3565 Harding Ave., open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., (808) 421-9460, dashophnl.com, @dashophnl