The Astronaut and a Polynesian Canoe
Because of teachers and visionaries like Lacy Veach, it is now our generation’s kuleana (responsibility) to inspire the next generation to want to learn, explore, take risks and find solutions for our Island Earth.
Jenna Ishii in the doldrums on sailing from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti
I thought about what inspired this voyage to mālama honua. The one teacher that comes to mind is Lacy Veach. After Ellison Onizuka, Lacy was Hawai’i’s second astronaut with NASA and flew on two missions of the space shuttle Columbia. I never had the opportunity to meet Lacy in person, so I’ll share Lacy’s story through Nainoa’s eyes.
Lacy loved Hawai’i and our voyaging canoes and saw immediately the connection between these canoes and Hawai’i’s future. On one of his shuttle flights, Lacy was able to stow away an adze stone from his grandfather. The stone came from Keanakako’i, an adze quarry located 12,500 feet up on the slopes of Mauna Kea, a special place where ancient Hawaiians worked in sub-zero temperature to make adzes; Lacy took a photo of his adze floating in space with Mauna Kea behind it framed by the cockpit window, as he was flying 160 miles above Earth.
View of Hawai‘i Island from Space Shuttle Columbia, Photo by: Lacy Veach
Lacy passed away from cancer. Before he died, he told me, “Nainoa, you can never believe the beauty of Island Earth until you see it in its entirety from space.” He was the world’s greatest optimist, but he always felt a great concern over the imbalance between human needs and the limited resources of our small planet; over the danger of exponential population growth and depletion of natural resources to support that growth.
On one of his shuttle flights, a fellow crew member woke Lacy up and told him to look out the window–they were passing over the Hawaiian Islands. Lacy could see all the Islands, and he could see his whole spirit and soul here. He saw the entire planet in one vision. “The best place to think about the fate of our planet is right here in the islands. If we can create a model for well-being here in Hawai’i, we can make a contribution to the entire world.
View of the Hawaiian Islands from Space Shuttle Columbia
What does this story inspire in you?
Lacy told Nainoa “I’m going to fly two more times in the shuttle. Then I’m coming home. I’m coming home to help children who want to learn.” When I hear these words, I understand my role on this voyage – to inspire children to want to learn, explore, love and care for our sacred places. It is that simple.
When I was in third grade, I remember learning about the ancient Hawaiians and their way of living in balance with nature, including growing food, making clothing, fishing, weaving, and my favorite – deep sea voyaging. We built a miniature Hōkūleʻa out of cardboard and wood, and we planned a voyage to Tahiti. I remember being so excited and feeling like a true Polynesian voyager and explorer. It was 12 years later when I first saw Hōkūleʻa for the first time, in 2007 in Okinawa, Japan. When I saw Hōkūleʻa, I remembered my 3rd grade voyage and the feeling of setting sail to find an island thousands of miles away. Below is a photo that Mrs. Varney saved for me. (I am in the yellow sweater serving food to my fellow crew members).
Hanahauʻoli School 3rd Graders (class of ʻ96) on our maiden voyage to Tahiti, Photo by: Mrs. Varney
Because of teachers and visionaries like Lacy Veach, it is now our generation’s kuleana (responsibility) to inspire the next generation to want to learn, explore, take risks and find solutions for our Island Earth.
Punahou School students cleaning up marine debris on Mokauea Island, O’ahu.
