her name is hokua star of gladness her ancestors knew the long and hidden seaways between Havi and Tahiti of the golden Haze Guided by the strong hands and the far seen eyes of men like kamahele the Navigator men who feel the sea and know its secrets when hokua begins The Voyage to which she is about to be consecrated she will be guided by one who still reads the Stars the long waves and the winds paddled by strong men whose ancestors wielded the ads to shape these canoes and she will travel to Tahiti and back to Havi over which island The Guiding star whose name she Bears stands at its Zenith in ancient days her Hull would have been formed from a single log or by lashing carved planks edge to edge the 60t hull of the hokua was made in a modern fashion but it Bears a semi shape and has a surface and a weight identical to the ancient voyaging canoes of Eastern Polynesia of 800 years ago it is known how the long canoes were constructed but little is known of how they responded to the wind and the Sea on Long voyages across the Pacific great care is being taken to duplicate the pandana sails and the Senate lashings by which the parts were assembled in the final outfitting of the Great Canoe these are all factors that could have an effect on the performance of the hokua for one of the purposes of this Voyage sponsored by the unique nonprofit organization known as the Polynesian voyaging Society is to offer proof that the early Polynesian without charts or instruments and using only his highly developed navigational skill and the double Hull canoe of his people found and colonized the Hawaiian Islands establishing a two-way travel between havai and his tahan home far to the southeast the lines used in the actual Voyage therefore will be of coconut fiber especially braided for the hokua by the old men of nanuma on the western edge of Polynesia and of the tuamotu archipelago because they have retained these half forgotten skills and they have the time time necessary to fabricate the lashings for the same reasons the final sprit sailes have been woven of pandanas matting by the women of Kinga marangi atol and of the Gilbert Islands in Micronesia who have revived the ancient craft Upon Our request but now it is Eve of the day of the launching Friday March 7th 197 and the huge pig is being prepared for the next day's ritual meal a prayer is chanted for a successful launch with the rising of the Sun the following day the ceremonies begin a decision has been made made that the ceremonies will be conducted according to the traditions of our cunas such ceremonies traditionally invoke the favor of the god coup who in one form was God of canoe makers and of tangaroa Polynesian god of the sea these then are the ancient rights of the early Island Mariners and attention will be paid to every detail the ritual surrounding the launching of the hokua is an appeal for acceptance of the voyaging canoe as a Living member of of the community having its own place within an orderly universe and the lifting of the [Music] [Music] capoo hokua is prepared for the ceremonies she is decorated with long garlands of Miley of EA EA and with te the wooden image or key symbolizes the Navigator his eye fixed to his guiding star represented by the Golden Pearl shell another purpose behind the proposed voyage and the ritual ceremonies is to resurrect and Revitalize the culture and the traditions of the great Polynesian Mariners before the Steam and the flying boats this was the way the Polynesians prepared to cross the wide and often turbulent expanses of the Pacific challenged by sudden squalls by Skies without Stars by submerged reefs that are invisible until you are upon them the early Polynesians sought the protection of those forces that maintain the harmony of the universe it is time now for the crew to drink the Ava the favorite beverage of the Hawaiian God customarily made by mixing the pounded roots of the peppery Ava plant with water the slightly narcotic liquid is served according to strict protocol of lineage and office one of the chance of the launching ceremonies this day will extol the virtues of Ava from Tahiti Ava from upo Ava from Vala and command bottle up the frothy Ava the well strained Ava praise be to God with the morning sun the conell summons The Spectators to kualoa kualoa at the North End of kohi Bay on aahu is a traditionally sacred place from this Windward Beach hokua will enter the Pacific waters for the first time the ritual Pai is chanted by kaena Wong a ceremony customarily performed by a Kahuna for Fore hey k e foree foree [Applause] [Music] he sprinkles the canoe and the paddlers with seawater as he in tones a prayer in which he asks protection for the Great Canoe until it safely reach is its [Music] destination after this opening prayer a portion of the seawater is consumed from the coconut shell and the remainder returned to the mothering sea [Applause] oh now the emo pit is open and the offering of food is prepared pieces of the pig snout the tail four feet some meat a red kumu a banana and all are placed upon a coconut Leaf platter covered with banana and Ava leaves the early voyaging canoes of Polynesia customarily carried supplies of Taro paste and dehydrated bread fruit pandanas flour and dried fish coconuts and gourds of drinking water the diet of these early Mariners was supplemented by freshly caught fish as they voyaged The Men Who will sail hokua to Tahiti and back will attempt to approximate this early diet as much as possible for there is a question of how well these early Polynesians could bear the rigors of oceanic voyaging on The Limited nutritional diet imposed upon them by the long Journeys and limited supplies the paddlers of hokua are now serve and on the PO copena faces herb Connie Ben finny and Kenneth Emery of the Polynesian voyaging Society this is the canoe which has been built says it name is [Music] hok okay fore invoking the forces that guard the sea copena ask protection for the Great Canoe against the coral beds and stones of the reef the waves and Billows of the ocean until the canoe becomes worn Moss grown and aged and he lifts for the first time the ritual kapoo of [Applause] hokua the crew eats in silence for this is a ritual meal and not at all like the bright and happy luau that will follow the launching they drink coconut water after the crew is eaten the remnants are gathered into a coconut Leaf basket weighted with rocks and tied with a cord [Applause] Cena places the food in the tea shelter time has come for the launching a is the call make ready to launch the canoe help yeah everybody everybody all male Spectators are invited to help pull the ropes for the launching and the cry is a Alik let us all work together the hauling chant begins w wow wow woo hokua has rushed to the arms of tangaroa the great voyaging canoe has come into her own and the Waters of kanohi have received her quickly and with love no they're going to bring it off us [Applause] [Music] [Music] more now the canoe is boarded and the signal given for the paddlers to take hokua out from the shore [Music] the gods of Heaven of the earth and the mountains the oceans the night and day are called to witness the passage of the voyaging canoe the Ava is praised and the kapu lifted here at kuo AAA It is believed that the ancient gods made their home here Kamehameha paid respect as his War canoes Sail by here the amaku shark once guarded the waters and Haka punished the great lizard now once again this sacred Place sees a great voyaging canoe gliding through its [Applause] [Applause] Waters the canoe is turned it is time now for the offering the crew is reminded that they must not look back once a food offering is given to the Sea the offering is made the waters receive the fruits of the land from the hands of her children and a homing chant begins in a sense it is a prophecy for the long canoe the stars appear the daylight arrives land ashore a mama the couple is free [Music] [Music] in for [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] y [Music] a sure once again on a Kena surrenders the canoe to Kahuku for a Christian blessing [Music] here is hokua built for the oceans and the Seas and consecrated according to the traditions of Our cunas receiver with Aloha and peace a blessing is asked for the crew and for all who participated in her creation and consecration that the Holy Spirit May defend protect preserve and guide them through the Aloha of God once again the Kel sounds but now it is a summons to luau a [Music] celebration from here at kualoa a former training ground for young Hawaiian Chieftains where sails were lowed as the canoes pass in respect to the holy Place Hoku prepares to Sail Out [Music] [Music] [Music] po [Music] [Music] for for [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] believe [Music] [Applause] mama [Music] she arrives at Maui a living artifact whose paddlers will be honored in other ceremonies on other islands and additional Sailors recruited for the long Voyage but mostly she sails now this star of gladness to be seen and honored throughout the island chain seeking to reaffirm the dignity the incredible skills the pride of the Polynesian people in what they were in what they are yet to be people of the ocean Striders of the sea [Music] [Applause] [Music]