Video: Waimānalo Waters

It means a lot to have Hōkūleʻa be here. First of all because they don’t represent people just coming, just navigators; they represent our lāhui. They embody the ʻike of our kūpuna. And they pretty much proved it. So I saw it as an opportunity to bring our community together a little bit more,” said Elijah Kalani Isaac, a Waimānalo resident.

Although Waimānalo was one of the last stops of the Mālama Hawaiʻi voyage, masses still lined the shoreline as the Hōkūleʻa approached.

Being on the Hōkūleʻa and seeing the response from all the people, that brought chicken skin to all those that was on the waa, And you could hear their voices coming out into the canoe, the waʻa. And then we heard the conch shells blowing and it was just amazing,” said Dennis Sallas, also a Waimānalo resident.

The arrival coincided with the annual Waimānalo County Fair where crew members were welcomed and recognized.

It’s a time for people to be happy. Especially good times, when we get to march together. And not being together in unity for an injustice, but something that we want to celebrate.