Polynesian canoe expedition circumnavigating Pacific Ocean makes stops in B.C. | 24CA News
Communities in B.C. are enjoying host to a canoe expedition that plans, over the subsequent 4 years, to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean.
The expedition is being operated by the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS).
The society says the normal Polynesian canoe — which has been named Hōkūleʻa, after the guiding star also referred to as Arcturus — will journey an estimated 43,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean and cease at greater than 300 ports, 36 international locations and archipelagoes and almost 100 Indigenous territories alongside the way in which.
The thought is to protect conventional Polynesian voyaging strategies and create a worldwide academic motion on ocean preservation. PVS says Hōkūleʻa was designed to copy historic canoes.
Moani Heimuli, a captain-in-training beneath navigator and expedition CEO Nainoa Thompson, advised 24CA News that the expedition is known as Moananuiakea, after the Pacific Ocean.
“It’s a four-year voyage, and we’re voyaging around our Pacific Rim, starting in Alaska, ending in Japan. And we will be voyaging for our oceans, voyaging for our kids, so that generations from now, they can still feed themselves from our oceans here,” she stated from a cease in Prince Rupert, B.C.
“And really for our island earth. We really care for our planet, and we really care for the Pacific Ocean. … it’s going to be a great voyage, and it has been a great voyage thus far.”
Worldwide voyage started in June
Hōkūleʻa started its worldwide voyage from Juneau, Alaska, in mid-June and has made a number of stops at Alaskan and British Columbian ports since.
The canoe sleeps 10 individuals comfortably, Heimuli stated, and trendy expertise has helped them keep away from unhealthy climate — so the journey has been comparatively easy.
Hawaiians, she stated, are “deep sea people,” and there aren’t loads of inland waterways at dwelling, so the crew is crusing throughout daylight solely to keep away from any questions of safety.
At every cease, Hōkūleʻa’s crew meets with native Indigenous communities to share information and tales of what every group is doing to protect their tradition.
“We’re taking the stories that a lot of these communities have and intertwining them — taking them home and sharing them with our people, and sharing them with these other communities. It’s kind of like a coconut wireless,” Heimuli stated.
“We’re going around and sharing our stories with the next community, from the past community. And we’re continuing to tell this story for generations. Our kids, and our generations next, will always tell the story of these different places.”
Heimuli stated her favorite cease thus far has been at Angoon, Alaska — the place Moananuiakea crew members helped native Indigenous youth launch canoes for the primary time because the Angoon Bombardment of 1882 when American naval forces destroyed the village.
After a number of days in Haida Gwaii, Hōkūleʻa stopped in Prince Rupert over the weekend and met with representatives of the Haida, Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Nisgaʻa Nations.
The canoe will depart for Campbell River on Thursday, climate allowing, and tentatively make a number of stops on the way in which, together with at Klemtu, Bella Bella, Namu, Port Hardy, Alert Bay, and Brown’s Bay Resort.
The crew will change over at Campbell River, Heimuli stated.
When she heads again dwelling to Hawaii, Heimuli stated she’s excited to deliver tales to her household and pals, together with these of how hospitable individuals right here have been.
“For these people to just take some random Hawaiians and feed us and house us and feed us until we can’t eat anymore, and then sharing their special stories with us — it’s been pretty amazing.”
