Technology lets community journey along with voyagers

One is totally isolated when sailing across the most remote parts of the deep blue ocean on a traditional-style Polynesian voyaging canoe, unless you have R2D2 on the back of your canoe.

Actually, we do.

Hikianalia has a FleetBroadband satellite dish on the Inmarsat network that enables transmission of audio and visual information to share the stories of "Malama Honua" (caring for the earth) across the planet. Hikianalia and Hokule‘a can even communicate with each other through a marine Wi-Fi called Ubiquiti AirMax, which transmits up to 2.5 miles.

The two canoes arrived in Tahiti this week after making landfall last week in Rangiroa, one of the Tuamotus. Because of the evolving skills of our apprentice navigators, land was sighted just 58 miles conveniently upwind of our destination after voyaging 2,200 miles without instruments.

The sight of land after 16 days at sea made me ponder the thoughts of ancestral wayfinders who after a long journey arrived at an unknown shore. They must have asked: Is this place inhabited? If so, is it friendly? Is there food? Can we land safely, or will our canoe be lost on the reef after coming all this way?

We too were very much isolated during the remote, blue-water journey on our two traditional-style Polynesian voyaging canoes, but we were by no means alone. With the help of multiple partnerships and cutting-edge technology, our families, friends and the worldwide community were able to follow along.

Unlike any previous voyage undertaken by Hokuleʻa in the past 38 years, the world has been able to stay connected with the canoes via regular video interactions and recordings, as well as the previous satellite phone interviews and blogs by crew members. Hawaiʻi’s ʻOiwi TV has cameramen on both canoes who generate photos and video daily for the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s website (www. hokulea.com) and social media. The crew provides daily navigation reports that are recorded on an iPad and then disseminated electronically. While onboard we have had video calls with our adopted schools, community organizations and during major events, such as the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference. The one ground rule for interactive communications: "Don’t tell us where we are."

Crew members adopted schools before departure, primed students on the mission of "Malama Honua" and discussed voyaging history as well as daily life on the canoe. Some of those schools were able to then have live video chats with their crew members.

Honolulu Waldorf School was an easy choice as my adopted school. It is founded on the principle of fostering global responsibility while carefully nourishing myriad facets of the growing child at each stage of development. HWS has been following preparations for the journey for several years. Three years ago on May Day, the school hosted a Wayfinders Festival with the voyaging society.

I gave a morning lecture at the school one week before our departure. The school auditorium was packed with students, teachers and family, and the questions were alive with wonder and the world of possibility. On the faces of the students seemed to be written a resolve that if two traditional-style Polynesian canoes could set out from Hawaii and travel the world using ancient, non-instrument navigation, they too could do something great to support environmental sustainability and cultural harmony.

When landing in major ports, PVS is hosting global village events with booths such as Star Compass and non-instrument navigation, Peace Flags for cultural harmony, Science at Sea, crafts and canoe tours. They plan to showcase a collection of these features online while also establishing direct relationships through interpersonal interactions with in-port school and community groups.

Thus, the mission of "Malama Honua" is being realized through awareness, education and community involvement. The waa may be far away, but anyone can tune in.

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Note: At the request of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Dr. Zunin is serving as medical officer for the crews aboard Hokule‘a and Hikianalia during the first leg of the international portion of the Worldwide Voyage, to Tahiti. He will fly home July 5.

Ira “Kawika” Zunin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is a practicing physician. He is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.