Hōkūleʻa, the iconic canoe of the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) and the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, will celebrate her landmark 40th anniversary with a series of celebratory events throughout 2015.

The traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe – designed by artist and historian Herb Kawainui Kane – launched from the sacred shores of Kualoa in Kāne‘ohe Bay, Oʻahu, on March 8, 1975.

The launch of Hōkūleʻa, along with the revitalization of voyaging and navigation traditions, helped begin a generation of renewal for Hawai‘i’s people. That renewal introduced a new-found respect and appreciation for Hawaiian culture and language in the state of Hawai‘i and beyond.

“Hōkūleʻa is more than a voyaging canoe – she awakened us to the importance of bringing people together from all walks of life to perpetuate the values we care about in Hawaiʻi,” said Nainoa Thompson, master navigator and president of PVS.

“We have a kuleana to build a future worthy of our children. As we celebrate 40 years of sailing, we look forward to sharing Hōkūleʻa’s story, and hope that she inspires many more people to navigate their own voyages of kindness and compassion.”

In celebration of Hōkūleʻa’s 40th anniversary, PVS will ask community members in Hawaiʻi, the 26 Polynesian islands visited this year, and future ports of the Worldwide Voyage to share a birthday message and submit inspiring local “stories of hope” about young people taking leadership roles in caring for their natural environment and culture.

This “Birthday to Earth Day” campaign will run from March 8 through April 23 on the Polynesian Voyaging Society website, hokulea.com.

Anniversary festivities will be posted to hokulea.com and will include:

• A fundraising campaign with local musicians Jack Johnson, Chucky Boy Chock and Paula Fuga
• A talk story series and birthday pāʻina at the University of Hawai‘i West Oʻahu hosted by ‘Ulu‘ulu, the moving image archive of Hawai‘i
• An Earth Day beach cleanup
• Summer film screenings, and
• Events in conjunction with the Friends of Hawaiʻi State Libraries.

Since her first voyage to Tahiti in 1976, Hōkūleʻa, which means “Star of Gladness,” has brought together hundreds of thousands of people throughout the Pacific Ocean.

As she continues to connect stories of hope throughout the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, Hōkūleʻa will seek to inspire and establish a lasting network of people and cultures around the globe to work collectively to care for the Island Earth.

The voyage is taking Hōkūleʻa and her sister canoe Hikianalia across the Earth’s oceans to grow a global movement toward a more sustainable world.

The Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines and education sponsor Kamehameha Schools, will cover 47,000 nautical miles, 85 ports, 26 nations, including 12 of UNESCO’s Marine World Heritage sites, through June 2017. The canoes are currently in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Photos courtesy of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

We have a kuleana to build a future worthy of our children. As we celebrate 40 years of sailing, we look forward to sharing Hōkūleʻa’s story, and hope that she inspires many more people to navigate their own voyages of kindness and compassion.
Nainoa Thompson, Polynesian Voyaging Society President

In 1985, Hōkūleʻa made its first trip to Aotearoa, extending to the other end of Polynesia.

On its current voyage, Hōkūleʻa has made its way through Polynesian waters, as it looks to navigate through the rest of the world in the coming years.

Nainoa Thompson has played a key role in Hōkūleʻa’s journey as master navigator and now, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

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