Fifty-six photos tell the story of a 1,218-mile voyage that took four years to plan and some 1,200 people to implement.
On view from Thursday through Jan. 27 at Kahilu Theatre on Hawaii island, the Voyager Exhibit is a stunning visual account of the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Makali‘i’s 15-day journey in June between Hawaii and 46-acre Mokumanamana (Necker Island) in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands now known as Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is among 104 presentations and film screenings that are scheduled for this year’s Waimea Ocean Film Festival (see sidebar).
“The images were selected to help impart the significance of the voyage,” said Tania Howard, the festival’s founder and director. “Part of the reason Mokumanamana was selected as the destination for the voyage is that the island itself appears to be a living star compass, a map of the night sky that guided Polynesians thousands of miles across the Pacific centuries ago. Modern-day voyagers have proven celestial navigation is still a relevant tool.”
Pahu manamana, clusters of upright stones that align with particular stars and constellations at certain times of the year, were erected on every populated Hawaiian island, but the greatest density of them per square foot is on Mokumanamana. The Edith Kanaka‘ole Foundation has been studying pahu manamana on the island for 15 years. More than 40 have been counted there, each comprising three to 15 manamana (individual standing stones).
Five of Makali‘i’s 35-member crew, all hailing from Hawaii island, worked beside the foundation’s researchers for three days to gather data on each manamana during the summer solstice, which was June 21.
The voyage itself was a valuable learning experience. Launched in 1995, the 54-foot, double-hulled Makali‘i was built by Na Kalai Wa‘a, which means “the canoe carvers.” As Makali‘i’s caretaker, the nonprofit organization is “dedicated to the maintaining of cultural values and customs through the teaching and applying of non-instrument navigation and open ocean voyaging.”
One of the objectives of its three-year Hanauna Ola (Sustaining the Generations through Voyaging) project was to train a new generation of mariners in non-instrument sailing, including reading the winds and clouds and memorizing the night sky and star charts as they change with the seasons. As part of the project, schools and community organizations grew, gathered and prepared food for the voyage. Hanauna Ola culminated with Makaliʻi’s voyage to Mokumanamana.
Going there, it was divided into four legs: Kawaihae, Hawaii island to Hana, Maui; Hana to Sand Island, Oahu; Sand Island to Nawiliwili, Kauai; Nawiliwili to Mokumanamana. Returning, Makali‘i sailed the same legs in reverse. Crews were replaced and supplies were replenished at each stop.
“From what I understand, the crew really appreciated the healthy food prepared for the voyage,” Howard said. “Food was brought on board fresh; bottled in Mason jars, including homemade vegetable soups; and freeze-dried and reconstituted. It took a tremendous amount of coordination and collaboration, but, other than fish caught at sea, the goal of provisioning the canoe with food sourced entirely from Hawaii island was accomplished.”
Most of the pictures for the exhibit were taken by Makali‘i’s crew, none of whom are professional photographers. Howard whittled down 3,000 images taken aboard the canoe, on Mokumanamana and from the escort boat to the 56 that visitors will see.
A few are 10 by 15 inches; the rest are 16 by 20 inches. According to Howard, they provide a good overview of the voyage, including crew training, dry-dock work, Makali‘i under sail and data collection on Mokumanamana. Three talks will complement the exhibit (see sidebar).
“I love the photos, both for the story they tell and for their quality and feel,” Howard said. “For example, there are striking images of Mokumanamana, rising from the turquoise blue of the ocean with seabirds all around it, that make you feel as though you are there. My hope is that the Voyager Exhibit will transport viewers to the deck of the canoe to get a sense of what it would have been like to be on this voyage and to gain a greater understanding of all that is involved with non-instrument navigation.”
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IF YOU GO: VOYAGER EXHIBIT
>> Where: Kahilu Theatre, 67-1186 Lindsey Road, Waimea, Hawaii island
>> When: Thursday through Jan. 27. The public is welcome to attend the free opening ceremony on Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. The theater’s gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and thereafter from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays and during performances.
>> Cost: Free
>> Info: 808-885-6868, email info@waimeaoceanfilm.org or go to waimeaoceanfilm.org
Voyager Exhibit talks are from 10 to 11 a.m. Admission is free; reservations are not required. Master navigator Chadd Paishon and other members of Na Kalai Wa‘a and Makali‘i’s crew will discuss the voyage to Mokumanamana. The schedule is as follows:
THURSDAY
The voyage: Topics for this presentation include preparation of the canoe, how the route was determined, weather conditions that were encountered and memorable experiences during the voyage and on Mokumanamana.
FRIDAY
Celestial navigation: Navigators use a physical star compass when they are learning, but, after years of study, they memorize it. Find out how they forecast weather and navigate using “mental sky maps” instead of instruments.
SATURDAY
Provisioning the canoe: Participants will meet at the theater for initial discussion and then walk to nearby Malaʻai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School, which was a major supplier of produce for the voyage.
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WAIMEA OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL
The Voyager Exhibit is part of the Waimea Ocean Film Festival, which was launched in January 2011 to raise awareness about issues concerning the ocean and the people whose livelihood depends on it. This year’s event will be Wednesday through Jan. 8 at various venues, including Mauna Kea Resort, the Fairmont Orchid and the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.
The festival’s program includes films, talks, exhibits, receptions, panel discussions and screenings of more than 60 ocean-related films produced around the world. A complete schedule is posted on the website along with admission prices, which start at $35 for a four-day student pass (kindergarten through grade 12).
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
