Crew Blog | Pomai Bertelmann: What Guides Us
Written by Pomai Bertelmann.A plaque sits in the aft hatch of the canoe and memorializes all those who committed themselves and their lives to the legacy of waʻa. These men and women sacrificed, so that we could be here today, sailing on this vast ocean of Moananuiākea in the wake of our predecessors.
The fullness of the Akua moon rises astern of Hōkūleʻa as the great arms of Kānehoalani, the sun, reach longingly for the watery depths of Kanaloa below. This vast liquid realm he governs has been our home for a number of days. As we meld into our time on the ocean, we deepen our personal relationships with our Mama Hōkūleʻa and the vast number of Kupuna who encircle us each day. Heiau and Te Ariki Tū, our kumuhonua,* are the center of our universe and enable our lā to stand in place like the great trees of the forest. They encase our peʻa who capture the wind that Laʻamaomao creates for us. Tumoanatane, Tommy, and the consistent Kawainui, whose work is never ending, guide us to our destination with each intentional dip into Kanaloa.
At our ceremony at Rangitahua, Uncle Mel shared, “Being on the canoe is a way for me to be with my family and friends of the canoe again. I miss them, so it’s good to be here.” These men and women who he speaks of are here with us in spirit, they are with us in our dreams, they are with us as the stories of the experienced are retold and are given life once again.
A plaque sits in the aft hatch of the canoe and memorializes all those who committed themselves and their lives to the legacy of waʻa. These men and women sacrificed, so that we could be here today, sailing on this vast ocean of Moananuiākea in the wake of our predecessors.
In the light of the moon full moon and the brilliance of the sun, the radiant eyes of
Kiha Wahine o Ka Mao o Malu Ulu o Lele come to life. She is the feminine, the Hina, the Haumea. She watches over us day in and out, subtly encouraging, vigorously reminding, and gently enmbracing our collective fluidity through her ancient stare. It is not by chance that on this leg of the voyage, a majority of our sustenance from Kanaloa is landed on the Hina side of the waʻa where she resides. It is as though she is calling out to the realm of the sea to feed the kanaka honua who are under her gaze. The wind lifts her hair and like tentacles of Faʻatupuitehau, the great heʻe of the Pacific whose arms stretch far and wide connecting people, she connects the kanaka honua of the waʻa to the nuances of the elements. She is the center of the great net that brings all the necessary elements together, enabling the canoe to rightfully take her place on the ocean. She is made of a native wood of our forests, becoming a representation of Lea, the goddess of canoe builders often times represented in the form of the ʻElepaio bird and the wife of Kūmokuhāliʻi. Her ties to the Honua and the Kanaloa encourage us as kanaka honua to achieve balance in our lives so that transitions in our life can happen seamlessly and with fluidity.
Kumuhonua –Mast Step
Lā – Standing Rigging, Mast, Spar, Boom
Peʻa – Sail
Tumoanatane – Side Sweep, Ama Hull
Tommy – Side Sweep, ʻAkea Hull
Kawainui – Center Sweep
Kanaka Honua – Canoe Member
Faʻatupuitehau –Heʻe of Moʻorea Tahiti, bringing genealogies of the Pacific together
Kūmokuhāliʻi – God of the forest, God of canoe builders
Lea/Leʻa – Goddess of canoe builders, ʻelepaio, wife of Kūmokuhāliʻi/Mokuhāliʻi
Hina/Haumea – Mother, Kupuna, Creator, Genesis
