40 Years of Voyaging – A Visual Timeline
In 2015, Hōkūleʻa celebrated 40 years of voyaging. Launched from the sacred shores of Kualoa in Kāneʻohe Bay, O’ahu, on March 8, 1975, she helped begin a generation of renewal for Hawaiʻi’s people. Along with the revitalization of Polynesian voyaging and navigation traditions, Hōkūleʻa introduced a newfound respect and appreciation for Hawaiian culture and language in the state of Hawaiʻi and beyond. Below, enjoy a visual account of her influence and accomplishments.
1. In 1950, Eighteen-year-old Mau Piailug is initiated as a master navigator in a Pwo ceremony on the island of Satawal. 2. In, 1973, The Polynesian Voyaging Society is founded by artist Herb Kawainui Kāne, anthropologist Ben Finney, and sailor Charles Tommy Holmes. 3. In, 1975, Hōkūleʻa is launched for the first time from Hakipuʻu/Kualoa, Oʻahu. 4. In, 1978, PVS and the world mourn the passing of crewmember and renowned big wave surfer Eddie Aikau when Hōkūleʻa capsizes off the coast of Lānaʻi. 5. In, 1991, Hawaiʻi astronaut Lacy Veach, who loved Hawaiian voyaging canoes, travels to space on Columbia. 6. In, 1999, Hōkūleʻa sails to Easter Island, successfully visiting the three outer corners of the Polynesian Triangle. 7. In 2000 On Hokuleʻa’s 25th birthday, Governor Cayetano proclaimed Hōkūleʻa as Hawaiʻi’s first state treasure. 8. In, 2007, Five Hawaiian navigators are initiated into the ranks of master navigator in a Pwo ceremony conducted by Mau Piailug. 9. In, 2012, His Holiness the Dalai Lama conducts a blessing for the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. 10. In, 2012, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu blessed the voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa during a private ceremony at Honolulu Community College’s Marine Education and Training Center. 11. 2014, PVS launches the first international leg of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, sailing Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to Tahiti.