PBS Hawaiʻi Presents
The Return of the Hōkūleʻa
Special | 1h 27m 45sVideo has Closed Captions
Al Harrington hosts PBS Hawaiʻi live coverage as Hōkūleʻa returns from Tahiti in 1976.
PBS Hawaiʻi provided live coverage when Hōkūleʻa returned to Hawaiʻi on July 26, 1976 from its maiden voyage to Tahiti. Celebrity Al Harrington hosted the 90-minute program from Magic Island in Honolulu as tens of thousands of people gathered to greet the canoe.
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PBS Hawaiʻi Presents is a local public television program presented by PBS Hawai'i
PBS Hawaiʻi Presents
The Return of the Hōkūleʻa
Special | 1h 27m 45sVideo has Closed Captions
PBS Hawaiʻi provided live coverage when Hōkūleʻa returned to Hawaiʻi on July 26, 1976 from its maiden voyage to Tahiti. Celebrity Al Harrington hosted the 90-minute program from Magic Island in Honolulu as tens of thousands of people gathered to greet the canoe.
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Al Harrington: And here we are, ladies and gentlemen, at Magic Island, the people of Hawaiʻi, approximately 20,000 are here to welcome the Hōkūleʻa.
A very special occasion in this, the bicentenary of America.
Myself being part Polynesian and touched by the occasion, because this is a source of pride for us, who are Polynesians.
This is the connection that we have with our past.
This is the spirit of the Polynesian people to go into the unknown and come out unscathed and connected with God.
And we have people from all over, Polynesians from all over the islands here to welcome the Hōkūleʻa, the ship, the boat, the canoe that went from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti and from Tahiti back to Hawaiʻi.
Approximately, 2,400 miles covers span of ocean, covering rough seas, covering doldrums, covering the test of what man can do and what he can take and what, how he could win.
So, this is a very special time.
We have people entertaining us from the various civic groups of Hawaiʻi, the various Polynesian ethnic groups of the islands.
The Tahitians are here, the Samoans are here, the people of Hawaiʻi are here.
I cannot help but be touched by solemnness of the occasion and the greatness of the occasion.
And on the stage right now is the Cazimero dancers doing a hula to welcome the Hōkūleʻa.
People from all over the islands, 20,000 approximately, are here, and they're still coming in.
There's no doubt that there's a source of pride here, not only for us who are Polynesians, but for us, who are Americans.
Why?
Because it is an adventure into the unknown, as America was discovered by and has been turned to the unknown, forward for discoveries of the past, and it's a fantastically beautiful thing.
The people.
The spirit is high.
Spirit is high.
The governor is here.
Governor Ariyoshi is here.
The mayor, the Mayor Fasi is here.
People from all over the islands are here.
Just beautiful, just beautiful.
And the feeling is nice.
The feeling is nice.
And they're still coming.
They're coming from all over.
We'll have entertainers coming from all over.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you're out there in the TV audience, come on down here and feel it.
I don't know if we'll be able to capture it on the television screen, but I can tell you this, you can certainly feel it here, sense of pride, sense of coming home.
And now the whole look, that the Aloha, King, Aloha Week King and Queen are here.
The whole entourage is here with the aliʻi of Aloha Week here.
And when they come, the blowing of the conch shell is heard.
And the feeling is nice.
The feeling is nice.
The feeling of pride.
It's a warm day, but a beautiful day.
And here's the chanter.
They're coming forth, bringing on the King and the Queen, and the whole entourage, giving us again a connection with our past.
For to know our past is to know our future and to know what we can do in the present.
These are kind, the kinds of things that answer those three basic questions: where we came from, where we are and where are we going?
Occasions like this that give us recognition for answers to these questions.
Our source, the Pacific, our people, Polynesia, which is now an integral part of America, and we make our contribution.
It’s beautiful.
The royal colors, the feeling is nice.
And Zulu is here.
Zulu who is the chairman of the whole program.
He’s done fantastic job.
Coordinating people, bringing them together.
And when the canoe comes, we will have the blessing of the people and the kahu.
Announcer: If you look offshore, you can see the flotilla.
Al Harrington: Kahu will be here.
Announcer: The fire boat is right behind the Texaco sign.
Al Harrington: All kinds of things are happening.
Hōkūleʻa is coming home, as Zulu says.
The beautiful feeling.
And the Kahu Ed Kealanahele will do the rituals.
The governor is now up on the stand with his wife.
The King and the Queen are seated.
Cameras are pointing out there to the ocean, pointing to the Hōkūleʻa.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a very special occasion.
If you're out there in the television audience, and if you can feel it, come on down here.
Even the policemen look like they got the feeling of the spirit here.
Beautiful, beautiful.
Here we are at Magic Island with our cameras pointing out to the ocean to welcome the Hōkūleʻa, a very special occasion for the people of Hawaiʻi.
In my feelings and thoughts, probably the best with the finest celebration in the bicentennial time of our country.
It gives us, who are Polynesians, who and people who live in the Pacific, a connection with our past.
But to be out there in the ocean when the waves are pounding against your ship and for 30 days you have a cup of water or water being splashed at you, not able to be fight to able to find shelter, and then to hit the doldrums, and then have the stillness of death be a part of you, and to come out of that.
This is what this is all about, a sense of adventure into the unknown, and what a day it is.
The sun is shining beautiful, and over 20,000 people are here, and all of the dignitaries of the land of Hawaiʻi, in the state of the land, are here.
A very special time.
We have more entertainers coming in to entertain the Hōkūleʻa, people, the King and the Queen of Aloha Week, the dignitaries of our state, even the military is represented.
People from Kamehameha Schools, Polynesian community, so many people here.
Feeling is so good.
The feeling is right.
That's what it's all about.
You can put things on paper, but if you can't get the feeling, then it's not real.
And believe me, television audience out there in Channel 11, the feeling is real.
It's nice.
Hawaiians say mālie, malu, meaning that everything is good.
The reverend will, Kahu Ed Kealanahele will fulfill the rituals of our past when the canoe arrives.
Announcer: Hōkūleʻa crew please come up front.
Right in front of the stage.
Everyone can see now the flotilla coming up.
You see the fire boat and a giant flotilla.
Al Harrington: The fire boats are out there, and they're welcoming the Hōkūleʻa, our source of the past.
Our connection with the past.
(natural sound) Al Harrington: The crew for Channel 11 of doing a fantastic job of covering this event.
Covering it in detail.
Announcer: Ka Pā Hula Hawaiʻi.
(chanting in Hawaiian) Al Harrington: On the stage we have the Topolinski dancers coming forth to express their feelings of joy and elation for this day and this event.
(natural sound) Al Harrington: Those of you that are out there in the television audience, if you cannot feel the spirit that is here with these approximately 20,000 people, come out here, come out here, and get a feeling.
(hula dancing) Feel the drums.
The sounds that connect us with our past and give us our presence.
Al Harrington: Everything is so well done.
The police, the guides and the guards.
Handling the people well.
There's, no pushing and shoving.
Gentleness here.
Very, very nice.
(hula dancing) Al Harrington: Dancers come from all sources of Hawaiʻi.
(hula dancing) It's just a thrill to be here.
(hula dancing) Al Harrington: Hi, how are you?
Let's talk to one of the kids that are here.
What's your name, dear?
Lisa.
How come you're here?
My mom is dancing.
Good.
Her mom is dancing.
Her mom is dancing, and she's here with her little brother.
The dancers are expressing their feelings of joy, the masculinity of it all, the femininity coming together.
This is what Hawaiʻi is all about.
And it is true.
It is true.
That we, the people of Hawaiʻi, we are not white, we're not black, we're not red, we're not yellow.
We are beige.
We're a combination of people from all over the world.
It's a beautiful thing.
The helicopter is here.
And as the Hōkūleʻa will come through, as the Hōkūleʻa comes through, the helicopter will go out and drop millions of orchids, welcoming them to the islands.
Beautiful, beautiful.
Unity.
This sense of unity and the sense of feeling that is here can only happen once in a lifetime.
This is a very special feeling.
The sound of Topolinski chanting in the back, and the dancers expressing themselves in spirit and in body.
Very special.
And if we can capture that on the television screen, we got it made, but if we don't feel it, those of you that are out there in the live audience, come back, come out here to a Magic Island.
It said that there were people lined up all the way from Diamond Head, from Kahala, all the way right to Waikīkī, right to here.
(chanting in Hawaiian) The Aikane Two is coming in now.
There it is.
Groups of people that went out to greet the Hōkūlea.
The Hawaiian, the Polynesian canoe that went from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti and from Tahiti to Hawaiʻi, showing that there is a definite connection between all the peoples of Polynesia.
And the various theories that are a part of our lives is true.
We came from as far as Malaysia into Polynesia, and then the last migration was to come from Tahiti or the Marquesas into Hawaiʻi.
Now we have retraced our source.
A very special time, folks.
And there's a very special feeling, even with the chants of it going on in the back.
Chants of welcome, chants of joy, and children are out there feeling this happiness in little boats, paddling with boards, laughing.
A sense of joy.
A time when they will look back and say, we were there, we were there when the Hōkūleʻa came.
The Ale Ale Kai is coming in too, the masses of faces that are here.
There's the Ale Ale Kai.
Ahh, for us who are part of the Polynesian tradition, this is a very special time.
Ahh.
(clapping) Al Harrington: Ladies and gentlemen out there.
Announcer: Let’s give a nice aloha to the people out here performing today to welcome our Hōkūleʻa.
Al Harrington: The Hōkūleʻa is on its way in.
The water boats are out there.
Announcer: And you can see the flotilla right offshore.
Al Harrington: That's Zulu.
He's the one that organized and chaired this whole thing.
He's done a fantastic job.
Here's the crew.
Member of the crew of the Aikane.
Announcer: Once again, we’d like to have members of the first crew.
Al Harrington: Members of the first crew is being paged to come out, so that they can be a part of the welcoming party.
As we get close.
(natrual sound) The Aikane's getting ready to be, to be tied down for a while before the canoe comes in.
The faces.
The faces of the people that are here, very special.
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen in front of the stage.
We ask you to keep this area clean, the area clear.
So our crew can come home.
Members of the first crew will be coming off the catamaran.
Al Harrington: Shot of one of the welcoming party with the conch shell dressed in the garb of ancient Polynesia.
And colors of umbrellas, colors of people, beautiful thing here.
Some of the people are coming off the Aikane now.
(natural sound) And then we have the man from Tahiti welcoming Kahu Ed Kealanahele.
(natural sound) Everybody's in a festive mood, even the people around our monitor here are getting into it.
(natural sound) The faces people, the faces.
People who have been sitting out here in the sun for as long as three hours waiting, waiting for the Hōkūleʻa to come in, waiting in anxiousness, some who are relatives, some who are just Polynesians, some who just live here and feel a kinship to this adventure that has taken place in the Pacific.
As I mentioned before, an adventure into the unknown.
If anywhere, if you have sailed the Pacific, you will understand what this is all about.
To sleep in between waves, waves that are taller, and we can even sense the nearness to death with only one thing pushing you on, and that's the glory of victory, and this is it.
The kind of feelings that go through you when you're living with somebody right next, sitting next to you for a month, and you've got nothing but the ocean and yourselves to deal with.
I talked to one of the crewmen that came earlier, that was on the on the on the trip down to, to Tahiti, and he said if I did anything, I did a lot of praying.
These are the kinds of things that bring you close to God, close to nature, closer to the reality of life and death.
And now we're at the point of victory, the point of glory.
And the crew will come, and they'll hold their heads up high, because they will have mastered this occasion, this adventure.
The sweetness of music, sweetness of the trades, the welcoming arms of family and friends.
This is what this is all about, and you can sense it, and you can feel it here.
(singing in background) Cazimero Brothers are singing a song of welcome, song of gentleness.
Smiling faces.
How are you, brother?
How you feel?
It's a special time for us.
We're on television, we're on television.
How do you feel?
Spectator: I didn't want to get into the damn television, but just fine, fine.
Al Harrington: That's another sense of what it's all about.
How you brother?
How you feel about it?
Spectator: I feel great about it.
Greet the Hōkūleʻa.
Al Harrington: It's our connection with the past.
Spectator: Brought my daughter.
She filled up the whole journey.
Al Harrington: It's what it's all about.
Yes.
Thank you, brother.
Thank you.
Yes, we have the people from all over the world here now.
People of Hawaiʻi are people of the world, so I use that general term.
Here's the little girl.
Come here, sweetheart.
How are you?
How come you're down here?
Spectator: Cause I was on top of the Aikane.
Al Harrington: Did you see the boat?
You see the canoe come around Diamond Head?
How did it feel?
Felt good huh?
Yeah, that's the way we feel here.
That's good, sweetheart.
Thank you.
You got any relatives on the boat?
Yeah.
Al Harrington: On the canoe.
Who's your relative?
Gordon Piʻianaiʻa.
Al Harrington: Gordon?
That's good.
I know Gordon very well.
He's a very good seaman.
Thank you, dear.
I'm glad you came.
(natural sound) And that's the feeling everybody just feels good about it.
Everybody just feels good about being here, folks.
Ahh, the sound of aloha.
(chanting in Hawaiian) There it is, folks.
(chanting in Hawaiian) The sound of chants welcoming, welcoming the Hōkūleʻa, the faces of Hawaiʻi.
It's an exciting time, yet very solemn, almost religious.
(singing in Hawaiian) Aloha, dear.
How are you?
Morrnah Simeona: Fine.
I'm Morrnah Simeona.
I just came off from the canoe.
Al Harrington: How does it feel to see the canoe come in?
Oh, it’s beautiful.
I'm Al Harrington and we're on Channel 11.
Oh, I see.
I was supposed to be in touch with you on the broadcast.
Oh, that’s right dear.
But did it look good out there?
Oh, it's beautiful, beautiful.
Beautiful.
They even played our chant.
I’ve been working with the canoe very closely anyway.
It’s a nice feeling.
You chanted out there?
No, we had a taped chant.
I've been working with the canoe very closely, anyway.
Al Harrington: It's a nice feeling here.
There's approximately 20,000 people.
It's probably more, because that was about a half an hour ago when I got that count.
So, the people of Hawaiʻi are here.
The feeling is nice.
Morrnah Simeona: Yes, and for me, because this is my field, the spiritual field, this is the beginning of the new age.
When the canoe went down with the end of the Piscean age, and coming back at the beginning of the Aquarian Age.
Al Harrington: That’s nice.
For us here, this is probably the greatest celebration that we have, as far as the bicentennial is concerned, because it is our source of strength.
We come from the ocean.
Morrnah Simeona: Well, I think it has a lot more connotation because I give the love of Kāne, Lono, Kanaloa and all the gods of Hawaiʻi.
Al Harrington: Right.
Mahalo.
Maybe we'll talk to you again later.
(singing in Hawaiian) The people are here.
Aloha, brother.
Good to see you.
How was it?
Were you on the Aikane?
(natural sound) Al Harrington: Good, good.
Aloha, brother.
How are you?
How was the, you were on the Aikane.
Terrific.
Terrifc show.
Really good.
Yeah, the feeling that, yeah, right, like you're in church.
What a wonderful experience for Hawaiʻi.
Everybody was there.
There were 1,000 boats out there.
People lined up on the cliff along the side by the road.
Yeah, over 20,000.
Magnificent, magnificent.
When we come in from the boat, and we saw the people out here, everybody on the boat gave a cheer.
Yeah, seeing all the people, and you feel just so much.
Yeah.
And how about you, dear?
Did you like that?
Spectator: Beautiful.
If you could have seen the Hōkūleʻa, it's so beautiful to see with your own eyes, you know.
The most beautiful part, when I can see the Hawaiian spirit in Honolulu, the people at the beaches, you know, beautiful, real beautiful.
Mahalo, aloha to Hōkūleʻa.
Al Harrington: We appreciate that.
How you doing, brother, feeling good, nice feeling out here.
The aloha spirit is full.
So much aloha here.
Yes, lot of people, people all over, yeah.
Just came in from the Aikane.
Over 20,000.
Over 20.
Over 20,000 here in Ala Moana Park, not including Diamond Head and Black Point.
It's really beautiful.
We appreciate it, brother.
Oh, we feel good.
All right, feel good.
Aloha.
There's over 20,000 people here, ladies and gentlemen, to welcome the Hōkūleʻa, and the feeling of this is here is amazing.
The feeling of aloha, over 20,000 people, dear.
People of the land of Hawaiʻi and people of the land of America are here to welcome this, the end of this adventure, the adventure into the unknown, to fulfill our true nature.
This is what Hawaiʻi and the Polynesian people are all about, to be able to get into it, right?
Never without fear, only trust in the gods to be in harmony with nature.
(music in background) And I have my brother, Gilbert Ane who's also here.
Gilbert, we're on television on Channel 11.
Tell the people how you feel about the feeling this here.
Gilbert Ane: Really great.
Al Harrington: Great.
It's a nice feeling.
We appreciate what you do for us too, Brother Gilbert.
You're on television, you're on Channel 11.
And how are you?
It's nice to see you.
What do you.. how do you feel about being here?
Spectator: Oh, I'm very excited and very proud.
Al Harrington: Good.
Oh, that's nice, because we feel the same way.
Again, it's a sense of that just is permeating all over this place.
Well, yes, whether we be natives of Hawaiʻi or natives of whatever, it's a nice feeling.
Mrs.
Piʻianaia has a son that is on the ship.
How do you feel about it?
Mrs.
Piʻianaia: Very happy.
Yes.
I'm glad they made it home.
I knew they would.
Al Harrington: Of course, you, you have a, have a tradition of mariners, tradition of mariners, right?
We appreciate them because they give us a very special feeling today.
Connection with our past, a sense of adventure into the unknown, a feeling that it can be conquered.
Mrs.
Piʻianaia: I put my mana out and bring him home.
Al Harrington: That's nice.
That's nice.
How are you?
Good to see you, Mrs.
Lyman.
Good to see you.
It's good to be here.
It's a nice feeling, isn't it?
It's just permeating, ladies and gentlemen, the feeling of aloha.
It's filled this place called Ala Moana, and if you're out there in the viewing audience, come, come to Ala Moana, and join with us in this very feeling of festivity, feeling of religion, feeling of belonging.
How are you, my brother?
I'm Al Harrington, and what is your name?
Roger Mitchell.
Roger, how do you feel about this occasion?
That's great.
We appreciate you being with us.
(natural sound) Aloha.
Oh, this is bigger than Papeete.
Yeah, we had some people here that was down in Papeete.
Dear, you describe the Papeete thing.
Papeete was beautiful, but not as beautiful as this.
This is gorgeous.
Well, it's our population is bigger than Papeete, so we should be bigger.
So is the goosebumps.
Me too.
Hawaiians say haʻalulu.
Haʻalulu the feeling.
Yes, the tears will come.
The tears will come.
Very special time, folks.
The Hōkūlea is in the channel.
We can see it out there.
The Hōkūleʻa is coming home.
The faces of the people, folks, beautiful.
Nobody went to work.
All right.
I asked the governor about whether he claimed, proclaimed a holiday, and he said he was unable to, because of the union negotiations, but he said he had suggested to all of the people to take their leave and to take their hours that they could, sick leave, you know, and vacation time, and so you can see a lot of people never go work.
Your boss gonna see you on TV where you work?
Liberty House.
Liberty House.
Okay, it's beautiful, beautiful.
How are you, dear?
The boat should be in about 2 o'clock.
Is it 2 o'clock yet?
I don't know?
Al Harrington: 20 minutes to two, it should hit us around about two.
That's the way they tell us.
Yeah, no, always Hawaiian time.
Today everything is Hawaiian time.
Ah, this time belongs, this day belongs to Hawaiʻi.
A special time, ladies and gentlemen, a special time.
If you're out there in the viewing audience, come to the Ala Moana.
There's over 20,000 people here, over 20,000 people to see the Hōkūleʻa come in, and when it comes in and it docks on this yacht on this wharf, we will have the Honorable Kahu connect us in our rituals with Tahiti and today of Hawaiʻi.
Aloha, brother.
And then, of course, the Honorable Kahu Ed Kealanahele.
He will perform the ceremonies, which give thanks to the gods for having placed the mana on the canoe to bring it back home, going all the way from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti, from Tahiti back to Hawaiʻi.
Such a feeling, yeah?
1,2,3.
Aloha!
All right, that's the sound welcoming the Hōkūleʻa.
One more time gang, let's make them hear it.
1,2,3.
Aloha!
Al Harrington: This very special time folks.
The Hōkūleʻa is very near.
Aloha baby.
Ahh, good to see you.
People from all over the State of Hawaiʻi have come to welcome the Hōkūleʻa.
The chant and huki bringing them home.
Ladies and gentlemen, the feeling here is fantastic, absolutely fantastic.
And Channel 11 is bringing it to you live here, right here.
Aloha.
Very special time.
The Hōkūleʻa is coming in, folks.
How you feeling, brother?
Spectator: Very good, good.
Good moment for the people of Hawaiʻi.
(natural sound) Al Harrington: Aloha.
Come over here so we can get you on the camera too.
This is one of the members of the crew that sailed that went down.
You went down there to to Tahiti, and the expression, the things that you folks had to go through was fantastic.
Hōkūle'a Crew Member: Well, one of the high points of my life.
Probably as long as I live, I'll never forget this, this moment, and when we arrived in Papeete also.
People had so much aloha, that's really, the aloha spirit really comes out, and today the aloha spirit is really coming out.
Al Harrington: It's full.
There's over 20,000 people here, brother, over 20,000 people, probably closer to 30, and they're here to welcome the Hōkūleʻa, a connection with our past, a sense of adventure, a sense that we can conquer what we're going to, right?
Hōkūle'a Crew Member: It's, riding, going to Papeete, being out on the ocean.
It's almost an intuitiveness.
If you are a Polynesian, that's where you belong, on the ocean.
Al Harrington: Thank you, brother.
God bless, and thank you.
Here it comes, ladies and gentlemen.
The flowers, the flowers from the helicopter.
(natural sound) Hey, the feeling up here, members of the crew that, members, there was a crew that sailed down.
Brother, how you feel?
Fine.
Feel good yeah.
(natural sound) You're on television.
Thank you, brother.
You folks did a fantastic job for us.
You know, you not conquered the elements, but you were in harmony with the elements, so they could come back.
Aloha, brother.
Aloha.
(natural sound) And here's Mrs.
Kalama, who has her had a son go down with the boat to Tahiti.
How do you feel dear?
Mrs.
Kalama: Oh, I feel so good he's back home, but I'm so happy he went on it too.
Al Harrington: Lady, here she was down in Tahiti to welcome them down in Tahiti.
How do you feel today?
Spectator: Oh, fine.
Because my son was along with Mrs.
Kalama's son down.
I’m good.
Fantastic.
How you doing, brother?
How you feeling?
Hōkūle'a Crew Member: I was on the ship going down.
My brother's on this one coming.
Al Harrington: It's like being in harmony with the elements, is what Rudy Chong said.
Everything went good, feels good.
You always have to have your conflicts, but to be in harmony is a minor.
Mahalo, brother.
Thank you.
A beautiful time here, folks.
A beautiful time.
Over 20,000 people, over 20,000 people here to welcome the Hōkūleʻa.
And there it comes, the canoe, the connection with our past.
A beautiful thing.
Oh boy!
The Hōkūleʻa.
The sound of conch shells.
Oh, the feeling of elation here, folks out there, the viewing audience is fantastic.
People are in tears, there's tears flowing of joy.
The sound of aloha.
Zulu is leading us in the aloha sound of aloha to welcome the Hōkūleʻa.
I'm back up here with Rudy.
I can see the emotions building up in you, Rudy here.
Nice.
Rudy Choy: Sort of overcome.
I think everybody's overcome.
Yes, it's when something is as beautiful and spontaneous and loving as all the people here have for Hōkūleʻa our boat.
Something else.
No words, no words.
To be able to be in harmony with nature.
I use your phrase now, Rudy, because it's more correct than mine.
When I was speaking of conquering the elements.
You never really conquered the elements.
What you do, you become?
Rudy Choy: Very humble, and you appreciate and love the elements.
Al Harrington: That's it.
And you get in harmony with it, then guides you and directs you.
And this is what basically what religion is all about.
It's just an idea of trying to get man to be in harmony with nature.
It’s emotional.
It’s intellectual.
And this kind of feeling is permeating all over here, all over, you could sense it.
Yes, full of the aloha spirit.
(natural sound) You would have to be a poet to fully capture the feeling that is here, and Rudy says he doesn't think a poet can capture this feeling, and he may be right, and he may be right, but I can say this to the viewing audience out on Channel 11.
This is a very special feeling, and as one of the members of the crew said that went down to Tahiti, it says he said it changes his life.
He's a different man as result of that of that experience of having gone down there and having worked to be in harmony with the elements through the doldrums, through the heaviest of weather, and having water constantly hitting your face, and not being able to find shelter.
Rudy Choy: It has changed the lives of us.
It has changed the lives of the better, for the better.
Al Harrington: I agree, for the better sense of pride, sense of wanting to live, sense of adventure.
This is it.
This is it.
(natural sound) 1,2,3.
Aloha.
Al Harrington: They have just cast the rope.
The Hōkūleʻa is now coming to be moored here, and we'll have the Honorable Kahu Ed Kealanahele, who will fulfill the rituals of our past to connect it with our presence and to give us a feeling of adventure for the future.
On this day, July, this day of July.
(natural sound) Today's the 23rd 23rd of July is today.
Today is the 23rd of July.
It's a memorable day to remember.
The canoes are here from all the various canoe clubs of Hawaiʻi.
The surfers are here from every part of Hawaiʻi.
Children and parents and families, and two boat loads from Kamehameha Schools are here to welcome the Hōkūle'a.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a day to remember.
This is a day when the life of Hawaiʻi changes for the better.
(natural sound) Okay.
In a short while, the Hōkūleʻa will be mooring in the front of us here in front of the stage.
Announcer: When Reverend Kealanahele performs the ceremony, we need you to clear this area right in front of the stage.
Al Harrington: Perhaps you can catch Zulu's voice in the back trying to clear away, so that when the Hōkūleʻa is moored, then the Reverend Edward Kealanahele will be able to fulfill the rituals of our past and connect it to our present, and the Hōkūleʻa gives us an adventure for the future, a fearlessness.
I feel so good about this, I can't contain myself.
Announcer: All the people on stage here don't belong here.
Will you please leave, because the crew will be coming off stage, and we need this room.
All of you will leave.
People are so excited, they're even coming on the stage.
They want to see, they want to feel.
Glad you understand.
Aloha.
Hi.
The next song we like to do is.
Cazimero Brothers are doing the music.
How you folks feel?
Isn't this a nice thing?
Okay, better than money, better than money.
How you feel brother?
I'm feeling like a kite.
Yeah, boy, the Hōkūleʻa is a high.
The Hōkūleʻa is a high, it's a natural high, brother.
All right, everything is going fine.
The Hōkūleʻa is they're getting ready to moor it.
(natural sound) Al Harrington: Sweetness of music in the background.
The Cazimero Brothers.
Songs written especially for this occasion.
Over 20,000 people here, folks, and the feeling as I said from the very beginning of the program, is outstanding.
We try to describe it as kind of religious, it's kind of, it's kind of like a victory feeling, it's kind of like just being close to God.
I guess that's the closest we can get to it.
A very special feeling.
The governor is here, the mayor is here, the dignitaries from the various civic clubs of Hawaiʻi, the Polynesians and communities of Polynesia here, and the haole people from the mainland are here, the tourists are here, and we all standing and sitting and singing and feeling nice together.
Announcer: Reverend Kealanahele is on board the Hōkūleʻa now, he is performing the first rituals.
Al Harrington: The people who had planned this had not even come close to predicting this kind of a crowd.
Because many people were not able to get off work.
It is a blessing.
They just left work.
They came down here.
A very special time.
A very special time.
Television cameras from Channel 11 are covering this and doing a fantastic job.
Aloha, dear.
Aloha, no.
Oh, isn't that nice?
Well, you make your way right through there, dear.
You're just from Kauaʻi?
Right.
We're from the island of Kauaʻi.
We represent the Kaumualiʻi Hawaiian Civic Club, and the captain of the crew, just so happen, comes from our island.
Al Harrington: Just so happen.
Aloha dear.
Make your way right through there.
How are you?
You feel good about today?
Yes, I do.
Coming through, brother.
Aloha.
Nice to see you.
You're from Kauaʻi too?
Kauaʻi is bringing garlands of leis and flowers to welcome the crew.
A very special time, folks.
There are moments when some of us cannot contain ourselves, feelings of elation, of victory, of religious, very nice, very nice.
We're constantly going back and getting shots of the Hōkūleʻa and the crew.
They're beginning to get the leis from their people, and you can see a shot of the dog now.
There was some conflict as to whether they're going to let the dog, let the dog celebrate with us, because he wanted to put him in quarantine right away, but the quarantine office was voted down.
The people of Hawaiʻi said the dog going celebrate just like us humans.
(natural sound) Look at that.
The Hōkūleʻa folks.
The crew.
Members of the crew that went down there are welcoming members of the crew that came back.
Hawaiian, the Tahitian greeting of ʻla ora na.
ʻLa or na is our word comparable to aloha.
The camera crew, the people of Channel 11 are doing a fantastic job covering all angles of the welcome or welcoming of the Hōkūleʻa.
And this is a public service station, people.
If you enjoy this broadcast, you write letters to the Governor and thank him, and thank him that the money is spent to bring good feelings to the people of Hawaiʻi, to bring us a feeling of unity, a feeling of togetherness.
Most of the people that are running the cameras are students at the university, so we've got a lot to be proud of today, a lot to be proud of.
How you doing, brother?
We got people from all over the world, people from Hawaiʻi, people from where are you from dear?
Africa.
Africa.
We even got people from Africa here.
Isn't that nice?
How do you feel about being with us?
Great.
Nice feeling.
For us, it is our source.
A great source of pride.
Thank you for being with us.
People from Africa, people from Tahiti.
She's got me.
This is a very special time here, folks.
People from Africa, people from Tahiti, people from every state in the Union of America.
They're here.
They're here to welcome the Hōkūleʻa.
People from Kauaʻi, people from Samoa.
Just look at that, just look at that, folks.
Over 20,000 people, close, I think it's gone over the 30,000 mark.
It's gone over the 30,000 mark.
Yes, it's 35,000.
Ah, yes, we just got statistics saying that it's probably about 35,000 people here from all over the islands, and if we counted the people all the way from Diamond Head, it'd probably be closer to 50.
50,000 people here from all over the islands, the land of America.
We got people from Africa, we got people from Europe, every place.
Cazimero Brothers are entertaining.
Where are you from dear?
Right here.
Right here in that beautiful, is that nice to be here, to be from here at this day, isn't it nice?
And where are you from dear?
Right here.
That's nice.
How about you man?
Mākua.
Mākua.
Mākua.
Howz it feel to be here?
Alright.
Did you go out with the canoes?
No, you didn't go greet the Hōkūleʻa?
I just greet them right here.
Good feeling though, yeah?
No can beat.
That's right, that's right, we got people from all over the world, yeah.
(natural sound) And how are you, dear?
I'm Al Harrington.
I'm the janitor.
Where are you from?
I'm from Ohio.
The Buckeye State.
And how do you feel about being with us Hawaiians here on this day?
A very special time.
It's still hot.
Still hot.
It's a natural high.
Aloha.
How are you, brah?
How you feel?
Nice thing to be here on this day.
Good to see them come in.
Aloha.
Feeling is full.
Beautiful, beautiful.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking to people at random, just talking to them.
Here's here's one of my brothers over here with a he poʻo on.
Hey, aloha, brother.
You on television right now?
How you folks feel about being here?
Beautiful.
We appreciated that.
How you brother?
How you feel about being here?
Good.
Ah, a Tahitian song.
(singing in Tahitian) How are you, brother?
How you feel about being here?
Perfect, perfect.
How you feeling brother?
Good, so nice, good.
(singing in Tahitian) Are we all right?
I'm wondering if I could just go up there and just talk to the governor?
(singing in Tahitian) Excuse me.
How are you, dear?
Good Al.
Excuse me, let me get through here.
Sound of the Tahitian welcome, ladies and gentlemen, here at Magic Island.
A very special day, the welcoming of the Hōkūleʻa.
The connection of the Polynesians with their past, the feeling for their presence, and the fearlessness for the future.
That's what this is all about.
I am now on the stage, and I would like to talk to the Governor Ariyoshi to just get his feelings.
Governor, we are on Channel 11, and this is live, and we like to get your feelings as to how you feel about this day?
Governor George Ariyoshi: This is a tremendous moment on the history of Hawaiʻi.
This is a bicentennial celebration that must be the outstanding one in the whole state of Hawaiʻi, but maybe in the whole United States.
And to me, what it reflects is the reliving of history.
Yes, these modern Hawaiian Polynesian reliving the heroic age of those who spirit of fearlessness, that's right.
Al Harrington: Spirit of being able to get into the future.
Governor George Ariyoshi: That's right.
And I think it's a marvelous feeling to know what we have a modern Hawaiʻi.
That kind of spirit, yet that made it possible for today to take place.
Al Harrington: Fantastic.
And it's nice of you to suggest all the people that take their sick leave to take their vacation today, to be able to come here.
And I know a lot of people didn’t go to work.
Governor George Ariyoshi: I’m very pleased with the reception out here.
Al Harrington: The reception is fantastic.
We have over, I would approximate 50,000 counting all of the people from Diamond Head.
Thank you so much.
Aloha.
I just got through talking to the Governor, and I would like now to just get over here to Mayor Fasi.
You are on Channel 11, Mayor Fasi.
Mayor Frank Fasi: A good channel to be on.
Al Harrington: Yes, sir, it's our channel, and we would like to just get your feelings on this particular day.
Mayor Frank Fasi: I don't think anybody can describe the feelings of all of the people here.
They've got to be a little bit different, but the only bond I think that a feeling that we all have is this has got to be the most significant bicentennial event in the history of Hawaiʻi, and especially the state of Hawaiʻi, and probably one of the most important in all of the 50 United States.
And frankly, I'm so proud of the Hawaiian people for recreating something that was done 700 years.
It was a thousand years ago, and it shows that the Hawaiian people are right in the mainstream of life.
They got the guts, they got the courage, they got the imagination to attempt anything that they want to, and get it done.
Al Harrington: Ah, that's good feelings.
I, and you know, Mayor, as I talk to the people, that's the same kind of feeling they got, you know, they express, they express a sense of humbleness, but a sense of adventure, which is what it's all about.
Mayor Frank Fasi: That's what life is all about.
This is what advances civilization, and I'll tell you, from now on out, the Hawaiians are really going to hold their heads up high.
Al Harrington: It's a new era for all of the Polynesian people.
Mayor Frank Fasi: I agree.
Well, I'm Hawaiian.
Al Harrington: Yes sir, you are at heart, my brother.
You are at heart.
Thank you, Mayor.
That was the mayor expressing his feelings.
How were you, brother?
You express your feelings too, for us.
Representative Stuart Ho: I've been the chairman for fortunate the one fun Channel 11.
Mayor Frank Fasi: You're talking to the right person.
This is Representative Ho incidentally.
Al Harrington: Representative Ho, good to see you, sir.
Pleasure to be with you.
And how were your feelings as far as this occasion?
Representative Stuart Ho: Well, I think this is once in a lifetime for us.
Especially for the Hawaiian people.
The last time we saw something like this was King Kamehameha, uniting the islands.
This is a start.
A sense of unity.
Right?
Now we going to need direction.
This is why people like have to go.
Now where do we go?
Al Harrington: From here we go up, from here we get our feelings together.
Representative Stuart Ho: And this is why I've been determined and fortunate to perpetuate Hawaiiana.
Amen.
That's what we need.
Al Harrington: Thank you.
Mahalo.
God bless.
Thank you, Mayor.
(singing Hawaiʻi Aloha) ʻOli nō au i nā pono lani ou E Hawaiʻi, aloha ē Come on people, sing from the heart.
E hauʻoli nā ʻōpio o Hawaiʻi nei ʻOli ē!
ʻOli ē!
Mai nā aheahe makani e pā mai nei Mau ke aloha, no Hawaiʻi E hauʻoli nā ʻōpio o Hawaiʻi nei ʻOli ē!
ʻOli ē!
Mai nā aheahe makani e pā mai nei Mau ke aloha, no Hawaiʻi Mau ke aloha, no Hawaiʻi Al Harrington: And ladies and gentlemen, I'm right here standing next to Zulu, who is the chairman of all of these festivities to welcome the Hōkūleʻa.
And Zulu, we are on Channel 11.
Isn't it a fantastic feeling?
Isn't it something else to be connected with this?
Zulu: Well, everybody is a part of this, you know.
It's nice that the people of Hawaiʻi turned out.
I don't know many we have here.
I know we have a lot of people.
I've never seen a group assemble.
Al Harrington: Zulu, we got people from everywhere, every state in the nation, we've even got people from Africa, from Europe, and they're, and they're, they're swept up in it.
Zulu: Well, it's a thing that everyone shares.
It's a very emotional thing, and it's nice, you know.
It's a cultural thing for people to understand, you know.
There are things that you can do that we can do, and this is what we do here in Hawaiʻi.
You know, this is our thing.
It's a great big bicentennial, you know, project of Hawaiʻi, and is.
Al Harrington: And let me tell you.
Let me just break in and say, Zulu, you've done a fantastic job of organizing this.
Bringing the various civic clubs together, bringing the various canoe clubs together, bringing them all together to be a part of this.
Amazing.
How do you compare this to the Tahitian celebration?
Zulu: Well, the Tahitian celebration was also beautiful, you know.
They did have a lot of people.
We do have a fantastic turnout, and all I can say, there's a lot of aloha here today.
And that's what really counts.
Al Harrington: It's permeating.
There's over 50,000 people here today.
Zulu: Well, you know, the amount of people can only be generated by the amount of aloha that is here.
So, the people feel, and it's really nice, and then that's all that counts.
I'm happy.
I'm happy.
Al Harrington: Shoot, I'm so happy, I get choked up.
I know, I get hard time speaking.
Well Zulu, you've done a fantastic job, and the people of Hawaiʻi owe you a fine aloha.
Zulu: Well, it’s our people.
I'm just doing my part, that's all.
Al Harrington: Well, you've done your part, has been a fantastic part, but then we, we appreciate it.
Zulu: All I can say is thank you to all the people right now.
Thank you.
Al Harrington: That was Zulu, who is the chairman of this festive occasion.
I just saw the key, the tiki, the tiki there.
I think one of the cameras may be able to catch the tiki that's being held up there.
The camera can catch the tiki that's down there.
There it is.
That's the tiki that we will pay very special tribute to, as far as our people are concerned.
It's being hold, cradled in the arms of one of the one of the people that was on the on the on the canoe that went down to Tahiti.
Okay, very special feelings here.
They're coming ashore.
(natural sound) People from all over the nation, the world, and the great thing about Hawaiʻi is the variety of colors, the variety of people, you can't beat this.
Zulu: Come on all you paddlers sing.
Al Harrington: All the Hawaiian families, Zulu is calling them to sing this song, welcoming the people.
Zulu: Ladies and gentlemen, coming off the Hōkūleʻa now, stepping into the canoe.
The skipper, the owner of the Maritime Nights, aloha for Captain Bob Burke.
Al Harrington: Excuse me.
Aloha, let me get through.
Thank you, brother.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
Let me get through, please, just one more time, so we can get them on television, so the people at home can see.
Aloha, let me get through one more time.
Oh, I gotta watch my cord.
Thank you.
The people from Kauaʻi are here.
The people from Molokaʻi.
The people from the Big Island.
Aloha, brother.
How are you?
Good to see you.
How are you, brother?
Hey, aloha.
Good to see you.
We're on television.
May you say a few words?
Come on.
Hōkūle'a Crew Member: I think this is a beautiful place.
Hawaiʻi is nō ka ʻoi, nō ka ʻoi.
The best and home.
And how was, how was being out there in the ocean, in the middle of nowhere?
Pure pleasure.
Pure pleasure.
Ain’t that nice.
You folks were in harmony with nature all the way?
And our ʻohana.
Oh, isn’t that nice, that's so nice baby.
Good to see you.
Good to see you.
Thank you.
Okay, okay.
The Reverend is, aloha brother.
Aloha.
Say a few words for our audience.
Our audience, yes, this has surpassed Tahiti.
The reception we have in Tahiti, not compared to this.
They were afraid, but coming home to our home.
This is our home.
Yes, our home.
And our people in Tahiti are beautiful people too.
But this is our home.
Right?
This is our home.
And boy all of Hawaiʻi showed up.
Brother you holding the tiki?
How do you feel?
Francis Lee: It feels good.
Good.
Good to be home.
Good to be home.
How'd it feel to be out there in the ocean?
It's alright.
It’s good.
All the people of Hawaiʻi are so proud of you folks.
I'm so proud of Ken and Tom.
We're proud to represent Hawaiʻi.
Tell the people your name and your family.
Francis Lee: My name is Francis Lee.
I have a wife, Tricia, and a boy, 10 months old.
You've been gone from them for months.
Two months, yeah.
Al Harrington: God bless, brother.
Thank you.
How you doing brother?
Good.
How does it feel to be home?
Happy.
Happy.
Kind of loss for words.
Where's Gordon Piʻianaiʻa?
Where's Gordon Piʻianaiʻa?
Zulu: Ladies and gentlemen, Reverend Edward Kealanahele to perform the ceremony.
Al Harrington: Your mom said kiss you.
Gordon your mom said kiss you.
Oh yeah.
Gordon, your mom said to kiss you and thank you brother.
How did it feel to be out there?
You'e on Channel 11.
Gordon Piʻianaiʻa: All right.
Good.
Good boat, and good kids, good crew.
Al Harrington: People, everything nice.
Everything was in harmony with nature.
Fantastic, man.
Oh, I envy you for it, but yet at the same time I'm grateful that I'm a part of it.
All right, everybody.
Good to see you brother.
How was it?
Perfect.
Couldn't be any better.
Oh, fantastic yeah.
I tell you we get over 50,000 people here, over 50,000 people, brother.
They're coming from all over.
That's 50,000 more than yesterday.
Al Harrington: You good.
You're looking good, Nainoa.
I'm talking to Nainoa Thompson, who used to be a student of mine at Punahou School, and he was on the trip coming back, and he was always been one of the boys connected to the ocean.
Feel proud, eh, brother, feel proud.
How are you, brother?
Thank you.
Thank you for coming.
Say hello to our viewing audience.
Oh, aloha.
Aloha.
Fantastic, fine, brother, fine.
The feeling here is fantastic.
Feeling here is fantastic.
Brother turn around and we catch ourselves on the camera over here, okay.
All right.
Good to be home.
We're proud of your folks success.
You know?
Thank you.
(natural sound) Announcer: Everybody off the canoe, please.
We have some personal things that belong to the crew, and they have not had the opportunity to take them off.
Al Harrington: Now, ladies and gentlemen, we will be getting into the blessing.
The boys from the crew have come off, and they have been given what is called the lāʻī ceremony, that is, they have been given their leis.
Now the Reverend, or the Kahu, the Kahu Kealanahele, will fulfill the rest of the ceremonies, blessing the boat for being having the boat or the canoe come to Hawaiʻi and bring our people home in safety.
So, this is called this was blessing the waʻa, the waʻa ritual.
Announcer: Okay, let's open up right in front of the stage.
The crew will be coming up, ladies and gentlemen.
Al Harrington: The excitement is beginning to build up now.
Everybody wants to touch the canoe.
Everybody wants to say hello to their mothers, their brothers, and their sisters who are on the crew.
(natural sound) Right, Auntie Vicky is trying to clear it up, so we can get most of the rituals fulfilled.
To do it right, we must do it right to get the proper feelings.
Huh?
Fantastic.
Announcer: Okay we're ready to go.
We're gonna start our ceremony now.
Al Harrington: We'll start the ceremony, Reverend Kealanahele will bless the boat for bringing our, our boys home safely, that they were in harmony with the elements.
As Rudy Chong says, you do not conquer the elements, you come in harmony with the elements.
The trade winds are blowing.
Happiness is in the eyes of all of the people that are here.
The aloha feeling is very strong, and they've all gathered now near the stage.
Sound of the conch shell.
(blowing of conch shell) Canoe clubs from all over, all over the islands.
We had the group from Kauaʻi here to greet the captain who is from Kauaʻi.
What is his name?
Levi, Levi.
Bet you folks are proud of him.
Very, very proud.
So glad that he made this dream all come true.
Yeah, it's good for us who live in Hawaiʻi.
Right.
It's a new era for us.
Right.
Al Harrington: A new era of proudness.
From here we go on to bigger and better things.
And there's the dog.
The dog wants to celebrate with us too.
And now we will pay proper tribute to the tikis connecting us with Tahiti.
Presenting it to the last family of the aliʻi's, Ed Kawānanakoa.
(natural sound) The God Kāne.
(natural sound) They present the tikis to Ed Kawānanakoa, who is the lineage to the aliʻis of Hawaiʻi.
He places a maile lei upon the bearer of the tiki, then the ali‘i Edward Kawānanakoa places maile lei on the bearer of female goddess.
Prayer is offered and the connection is made between us and Tahiti.
(natural sound) The Kahu Ed Kealanahele.
(natural sound) Pahu sound of the rocks connecting our sound, the sound of Tahiti.
The heiaus in Hawaiʻi, and the maraes of Tahiti, signifying that we come from a common source, the land of the Pacific.
(natural sound) The time goes now to Zulu.
The rituals have been fulfilled.
Zulu: The crew will now come forward on stage to greet our Aloha Week aliʻi and to be greeted by our governor and our mayor.
Al Harrington: And now, ladies and gentlemen, the members of the crew will be making their way to the stage where they will be honored by the Governor and the Mayor of Honolulu, the Governor of Hawaiʻi and the Mayor of Honolulu and other dignitaries of the state of Hawaiʻi.
The honorable, even the dog Hoku is given a lei, and the honorable aliʻi Edward Kawānanakoa presents leis to all of the crew as they come on shore, and they will go from here to their families.
From Kauaʻi.
All of the people here are being presented with leis now.
Go ahead brother.
Benjamin Young.
Nainoa Thompson.
Kimo Lyman.
These are the members of the crew that came off the boat.
They sailed the boat, the canoe from Tahiti.
Gordon Piʻianaiʻa who is somebody I used to teach school with.
Penny Rawlins from Molokaʻi, whose family I talked to.
They are very proud of her.
Sanders, Sanders, good to see you, sir.
Expresses his feelings of being happy to be here.
Some of these crew members are now off the canoe that accompanied that accompanied the Hōkūlea to Hawaiʻi to the Big Island to Honolulu, Big Island.
I'm getting so excited, I can't talk straight.
Makaʻala Yates from Kona.
(natural sound) Michael Holt from the male tie.
(natural sound) Ahh, the members of the first crew coming.
How you Buffalo?
Good to see you.
Buffalo Keaulana, member of the first crew.
Tiger Espere took the boat, took the canoe down.
Sam Kalalau.
How you brother?
Good to see you.
Boogie.
Boogie, how are you brother?
One of the great Beach Boys and paddlers and canoe guys of Hawaiʻi.
John Cruz, good to see you, brother.
This about gets us to the bottom of the crew, ladies and gentlemen, those that brought the ship back, and those who took it.
And our aliʻi Edward Kawānanakoa.
May I impose on you, sir, just for a few words?
My name is Al Harrington.
We are on Channel 11, and the whole thing is being viewed live, and you as representing the aliʻis of our people.
How do you feel about this occasion?
Edward Kawānanakoa: Well, it was certainly a momentous day for everyone here, and all Hawaiians.
And I'm glad to say that I'm one of them.
This is going to go down in history as being one of the great days.
Al Harrington: Well, it has been expressed by many of our people, sir, that this is a landmark for us.
This is a time of renewing of our spirits with our past.
This is a time when we go from here to bigger and better things, the regaining of our confidence.
(natural sound) Mahalo.
Thank you very much sir.
People from all over the world.
We got some people here that I'd like to say hello to.
How you, brother, how you feel about being today?
Beautiful, beautiful, nice.
Aloha, aloha, brother.
Thank you.
Good to see you.
Good.
Well, you're on Channel 11.
Please say something nice to our people.
Aloha, Channel 11.
What I, boy I tell you, everybody's feeling nice.
You on the Aikane or Ala Alakaʻi?
Beautiful.
Well, it's nice.
How are you, brother?
Good to see you.
You're on Channel 11, singing with the what group was that you were singing with?
Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club.
Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club.
You folks did a fantastic job.
How do you feel about today?
Oh, fantastic, fantastic.
Yeah.
Oh, aloha.
Yeah, with such a crowd, and over 50,000 really a beautiful crowd, yeah, beautiful crowd, Over 50,000 people, and everybody's happy, it's mellow, you know.
And then at the same time, there's a feeling of pride.
There is, terrific.
I think this is a new landmark for us who are Polynesians.
It certainly, is that.
From here we go on to bigger and better things, a sense of pride, a sense of pride.
The governor is now leaving us.
We'll see you, Governor Ariyoshi.
Okay, aloha.
How are you, brother?
Hi.
People from all over the world, people from all over Hawaiʻi, an amazingly beautiful thing.
This is the finest bicentennial occasion in the nation.
Of course, I'm a little prejudiced.
Yes, without a doubt, my brother.
Without a doubt.
Aloha.
People are coming down.
The governor has left in the beginning of other festivities will start.
How are you, brother?
Here's a member of the crew from Channel 11.
Say hello.
Hello, what's happening?
Channel 11 people, brother, we appreciate your folks' work.
Aloha, how are you, dear?
Good to see you.
You home for the summer?
Good.
Nothing like home.
(natural sound) Al Harrington: Music from the people of Hawaiʻi for the people of the world.
A sense of love for nature.
And as Rudy Chong says, a sense of getting in harmony with nature.
Polynesian people will make a contribution to the world that would be to give them a sense of love.
(natural sound) This is Al Harrington speaking to you from Channel 11, where you have seen this live broadcast, ladies and gentlemen, of the welcoming of the Hōkūleʻa, one of the most memorable occasions in the history of the Pacific.
Where a group of Polynesians, people who live in the islands of the Pacific, took a canoe from Hawaiʻi and retraced the trail back to Tahiti, and then returned.
There are people frolicking in the ocean, people just elated by the fact of being here.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a very special time.
And now you should see the kāhili's of the pageantry of the King and the Queen of Aloha Week.
Aloha, brother.
Thank you for coming from Kauaʻi.
Thank you very much.
Aloha.
Yes, and they have returned with a canoe, restoring our source or renewing our connections with the past.
That sense of adventure that the Polynesian had in being in harmony with the Pacific.
(music playing) The sound of the music.
(music playing) And we're bringing it to a close now ladies and gentlemen.
This is Al Harrington speaking to you from Channel 11, where we have presented to you the welcoming of the Hōkūleʻa, a new time in the history of Hawaiʻi, the connection of our past with our present, and the connection with a great future that we have in becoming a part of this, the Western world.
The feeling here is beautiful.
If you enjoyed this program, please give thanks to Hawaiʻi Public Television, because they made this possible.
Write to the governor.
Thank the people.
Okay, production is from Hawaiʻi Public Television.
We are signing off now.
Mahalo and aloha.
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PBS Hawaiʻi Presents is a local public television program presented by PBS Hawai'i