Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 8, 1 August 1988 — First Canoe Conference Aug. 8-12 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

First Canoe Conference Aug. 8-12

Ancient and traditional arts of eanoe building still persist in many parts of the Pacific, where people depend on the old knowledge to survive. Recognizing this living heritage is the focus of the Pacific Canoe Conference at Bishop Museum Aug. 8-12. The event is co-sponsored by the Hawaii Mantime Center, the National Endowment Folk Arts Program and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Conference coordinator Daniel (Kaniela) Kahikina Akaka Jr. says the purpose of the Pacific Canoe Conference is "to document and preserve the art of traditional eanoe building before it is lost." The first of its kind, the conference is gathering 10 master eanoe builders from Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia, to represent eaeh area of the Pacific. They will share their knowledge and skill in workshops on eanoe design, sails, paddles, building materials, eanoe houses, ornamentation, non-instrument navigation, voyaging canoes and traditions and ceremonies. One logistical hurdle he faced was to get these men from their isolated islands to the nearest plaee where they could take a plane to Hawaii. While the men may be experienced navigators, most have never been away from their own island group. One exception is Mau Piailug, the first Hokule'a navigator, who comes from the atoll of Satawal in the Caroline Islands, Republic of Micronesia. Workshops during the first three days of the conference are open free to members of the public, who must pre-register due to limited space. Translators will be on hand for the various panel discussions. Sessions during the final two days will be reserved for the eanoe builders and loeal eonference facilitators to share knowledge and get to know eaeh other. Akaka notes that in certain areas of Micronesia and Melanesia the old traditions of eanoe building and navigation are still followed, especially in more remote places. There, the people still build their own canoes and depend on the sea for their food and transportation. "They depend on their knowledge to get around in a vast sea where the nearest atoll might be 200 miles away." Yet distance does not completely isolate them. "For a paek of cigarettes they will plan a voyage to a far area," Akaka explains. In more modernized areas of Polynesia, he says,

not many people have the knowledge anymore to build traditional canoes. They will use fiberglass canoes, or modify the traditional design to aeeommodate an outboard motor or for racing. Pacific nation leaders were sent official invitations to the conference by Govemor John David Waihee III and Akaka hoped some would attend. Akaka is also inviting Hawaii's experts on traditional Hawaiian eanoe building and navigation, including Ben Finney of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and Hokule'a's Nainoa Thompson. To register or for information about the conferenee, eall the Hawaii Maritime Center at 536-6801. Another eanoe event happening the same week as the conference will be the World Sprints, an international eanoe racing competition. Akaka said he hoped some of the competitors would attend the conference.

The Hawai'i Maritime Center, shown here nearing completion at Pier 7, is presenting the Paeilie Canoe Conference Aug. 8-12 at Bishop Museum. It is the first major event being sponsored by the Center.