During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we're turning our attention to this vessel setting sail from Honolulu. It looks like a sailboat at sunset, accompanied by a group of rowers. But this is actually the Hōkūle'a, a replica of a traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe, as it departs in May 2014 for a three-year 'Mālama Honua' voyage to circumnavigate the world. The Polynesian Voyaging Society, which organizes the expeditions of the Hōkūle'a, explains that 'Mālama Honua' means to 'care for our Island Earth.' As they sail around the world, they're discovering and sharing local and Indigenous wisdom in a bid to help overcome the world's current challenges.
When Hōkūle'a arrived in Tahiti on its first voyage, over half the island's people were there to greet the crew of the traditional double-hulled canoe.
