ʻOhana Waʻa

ʻOhana Waʻa ʻOhana Waʻa is a Hawaiian voyaging canoe organization dedicated to reviving traditional Polynesian navigation, canoe building, and cultural education. It operates within networks of indigenous maritime groups and collaborates with community organizations, museums, universities, and government agencies across the Pacific and North America. The organization engages in voyaging, cultural programs, intergenerational training, and partnerships with institutions to promote stewardship of oceanic knowledge and Hawaiian cultural practices.

Introduction

ʻOhana Waʻa operates at the intersection of Native Hawaiian cultural revitalization and trans-Pacific voyaging, working alongside entities such as Bishop Museum, Hawaiʻi Pacific University, Kamehameha Schools, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Honolulu Star-Advertiser partners. It is part of a broader movement connected to legacy organizations including Nā Koa Manu, Polynesian Voyaging Society, and Hōkūleʻa alumni who collaborate with regional groups like Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Nā Koa Loa, and Mālama Honua. Leadership and membership often interact with institutions such as University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Kapiʻolani Community College, American Samoa Community College, and cultural centers like Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau.

History and Origins

The origins trace to late 20th and early 21st century Hawaiian cultural resurgence movements influenced by figures associated with Polynesian Voyaging Society, Eddie Aikau, Nainoa Thompson, and supporters from the State of Hawaiʻi and philanthropic entities such as Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate. Early collaborators included community groups like Aha Moku Advisory Committee, Queen Liliʻuokalani Childrens Center, and regional voyaging crews from Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Lanaʻi. ʻOhana Waʻa grew from canoe clubs, hula halau, and Hawaiian language revitalization efforts linked to ʻAha Pūnana Leo immersion programs and cultural practitioners affiliated with Office of Hawaiian Affairs beneficiaries. Partnerships extended to Pacific-wide networks connecting with Te Kura Kaupapa Māori, Cook Islands Voyaging Society, Samoa Voyaging Society, Fiji Maritime Academy, and coastal communities in California and Washington (state).

Cultural Significance and Practices

The organization emphasizes Indigenous knowledge systems rooted in Hawaiian navigational cosmology, working with kūpuna and cultural practitioners associated with Hoʻokipa ʻOhana, Hoʻokupu traditions, and kūpuna councils from communities across Oʻahu, Maui County, Hawaiʻi (island). Programs integrate traditional chants, protocol drawn from aliʻi genealogies linked to sites such as Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, and cultural practices observed in events at locations like Kualoa Ranch and Iolani Palace ceremonies. ʻOhana Waʻa collaborates with museums and archives including Bishop Museum, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, and academic collections at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo to preserve and teach ʻike kupuna and oral histories related to voyaging, moʻolelo, and kapu protocols. Community engagement includes partnerships with Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Alu Like, Kahua ʻĀina, and youth organizations such as Boy Scouts of America councils and Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi.

Canoe Construction and Navigation

Canoe building projects follow traditional vaka and waʻa construction methods, supported by craftspeople and practitioners who have worked with entities like Voyaging Society of Aotearoa, Stamford Maritime Museum, and timber suppliers from regions including Alaska, British Columbia, and California redwood restoration programs. Construction partnerships have included shipwrights linked to Hōkūleʻa refits, boatyards in Honolulu Harbor, and craftsmen associated with Koa wood stewardship programs at sites like Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative. Navigation instruction draws on non-instrument wayfinding traditions taught by master navigators in the lineage of Nainoa Thompson, Kalehuia, and guest instructors from Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi communities, as well as collaborations with maritime safety agencies such as the United States Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Community Programs and Education

ʻOhana Waʻa runs intergenerational education programs in partnership with schools and institutions including Kamehameha Schools, University Laboratory School, Seabury Hall, and community centers like Keiki O Ka ʻĀina. Curriculum development has been coordinated with academic departments at University of Hawaiʻi System, Hawaiʻi Community College, and nonprofit educators from Kūpuna Voice and ʻAha Kiole. Outreach extends to regional youth exchanges with organizations in American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, and mainland programs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Health, sustainability, and cultural resilience initiatives engage agencies such as Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaii), and conservation NGOs like The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi and Surfrider Foundation.

Events, Voyages, and Notable Expeditions

ʻOhana Waʻa has participated in inter-island voyages, cultural exchanges, and regattas alongside canoes and crews from Polynesian Voyaging Society, Hōkūleʻa, Hikianalia, Te Aurere, and international gatherings such as the Pacific Islands Forum cultural events and Festival of Pacific Arts. Notable expeditions have included ceremonial voyages to Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, coastal education sails at Waikīkī and Kewalo Basin, and collaborative trans-Pacific outreach touching ports in Tahiti, Aotearoa New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, and Cook Islands. Events and festivals featuring ʻOhana Waʻa programs occur at venues like Kauai Museum, Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Haleʻiwa Boat Harbor, and during statewide celebrations including Aloha Festivals and Prince Lot Hula Festival. Category:Hawaiian culture