Wa'a Wednesday: Preparing for Hōkūle'a's return

Hōkūle‘a was approaching Hawaiian waters on June 6, days away from returning home to Hawai‘i after three years sailing the world.

Jun. 7, 2017

Contributed by Shaundor Chillingworth

As Hōkūle‘a nears Hawaiian waters, just hundreds of miles away from a return to Hawai‘i, there is an opportunity to plan and prepare to celebrate, honor and welcome this special wa‘a home and celebrate all that has been accomplished over the past three years.

Over the next 10 days, there are a number of ways you can plan and prepare to take part in this truly once in a lifetime kind of experience. The official homecoming welcome celebration will take place on Saturday, June 17 beginning at 7 a.m. at Magic Island. Kamehameha Schools staff and their ‘ohana are encouraged to attend the event if they are able.

Learn the mele for Hōkūle‘a's welcoming ceremony

Four mele will be offered to welcome home Hōkūle‘a. This is an opportunity to share your mana, to stand together as a lāhui and offer your voice in unison to welcome home Hawai‘i's wa‘a and its community of navigators, captains, crew, and supporters and to honor all of their achievements.

To help learn these mele, there are efforts underway to train and prepare all of those who are willing and able to participate.

If you prefer to learn on your own at your own pace, these mele can be accessed via the Kanaeokana website. On there, youʻll find the lyrics along with video and audio of the songs being sung.

If you prefer to learn in the company of others, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is offering a series of mele workshops both this week and next week.

Remaining workshops will take place:

Wed., June 7, 5:00 p.m. at Māʻili Beach Park
Tues., June 13, 6:00 p.m. at the Papakōlea Community Center
Wed., June 14, 6:00 p.m. at Nā Lama Kukui – Second Floor Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board Room
Thurs., June 15, 7:00 p.m. at Waialua Community Association Gym

Visit http://www.oha.org/hokuleahomecoming/ for more information.

Kamehameha Schools employees can also attend one of two sessions planned at Kawaiaha‘o Plaza next week. Join Manu Boyd for an overview and chance to learn these mele together on:

Tues., June 13, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Wed., June 14, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Both sessions will take place in Kaiona.

Reminisce and keep informed on the latest happenings

Throughout the three years of this voyage, there have been hundreds of stories logged, thousands of photos of the impact this journey has had on communities both near and afar. Take a moment to read through some of these incredible moments. You can look throught the stories shared on this channel, via the Mālama Honua collection or go direct to the source on hokulea.com.

And the stories are still coming in. KSK alum Na‘alehu Anthony recently filed a blog “Almost Home” that talks about the challenging part about the final leg and what he sees as the impact this voyage has had and the promise it makes for the future.

Share your own stories

To amplify the purpose and collective impacts of the Worldwide Voyage, PVS is asking its partners to share their voyage-inspired stories through blogs, video and social media. Share an experience you had with the wa‘a or a reflection on what the voyage has meant to you or your students. When sharing, be sure to tag @hokuleawwv and use the hashtag #malamahonua. Please also use a location so your story can be included on a Mālama Honua story map.

Make your plans for next weekend

Following the arrival ceremony, a ho‘olaule‘a will take place from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Magic Island. Bring your picnic gear and take the opportunity to enjoy the day with entertainment and more. Food will be available for purchase at the event if you prefer to do that.

On the evening of June 17, SALT at Our Kaka‘ako will celebrate homecoming with a block party. Before a screening of Moana, a preview of ‘Ōiwi TVʻs film about the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage will be shown. Look out for WWV crewmembers participating and sharing their stories throughout the night at each of the events entertainment stages. Some great local artists on tap including KS alums Kimie Miner, Kupaoaʻs Lihau Hannahs Paik and Waipunaʻs Kale Hannahs.

The next day, the Mālama Honua Fair and Summit will open for a three-day gathering to discuss mālama honua stories of hope inspired by the Worldwide Voyage and develop sail plans for the future of Hawaiʻi and our planet. As the education sponsor of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, KS will be hosting a Promise to Children pavilion where a number of stories and activities will be shared throughout the summit. Get more information on the summit schedule and how you can participate here: http://www.hokulea.com/summit/.

Kamehameha Schools is proud to be the Education Sponsor of the Hōkūle‘a Worldwide Voyage. For more information about the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Worldwide Voyage, visit hokulea.com or find the society on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+. To see more Wa‘a Wednesday stories and much more about the Mālama Honua Voyage, go to the KS Online Mālama Honua page(if you are on a KS Network) or see related articles below.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2020
SP2020 is a five-year strategic plan that will guide Kamehameha Schools from 2015 to 2020. The plan marks a starting point toward KS’ Vision 2040, which envisions success for all Native Hawaiian learners.

The Worldwide Voyage supports Goal 1 and Goal 3 of SP2020 which call for KS to deliver world-class, culture-based education and to cultivate Native Hawaiian identity within its learners.

Mele Workshops at Kawaiaha‘o Plaza

Next week, two mele training sessions will be held at Kawaiaha‘o Plaza.

Join Manu Boyd on Tues., June 13 from 10 - 11 a.m. and/or on Wed., June 14 from 2 to 3 p.m. for an overview on the mele and a chance to learn together.

Sessions will take place in Kaiona.

Visit kanaeokana.net/hokuleahomecoming/ to see and hear the mele.

Please get your supervisorʻs approval before participating.

Navigators work to find the stars in their compass to guide them on the path home.