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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Across Kaneohe Bay, masts stand tall against a backdrop of the mountainous Ko’olau Range as wa’a kaulua cut through the bay to the marina at Marine Corps Base Hawai’i. As the double hulled canoes approached the pier, children rushed to greet them. The children, students at Mokapu Elementary School, started in song together, singing e aloha e, a warm welcome to the crew members. In response, the boats pierced the air with long blasts from shell trumpets made from conch. Representatives of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Hawai’ian elders, and Marine Corps leaders gathered to greet the crews just days before the 13th Festival of the Pacific Arts and Culture being held in Hawai’i. This year’s FestPAC holds particular significance for both MCBH and the State of Hawai’i. This is the first time MCBH has been asked to host the Wa’a Ceremony, kicking off the FestPAC Wa’a Festival. It is also a historic moment for Hawai’i who is hosting the Oceanic event for the first time since the inaugural FestPAC held in 1972 in Fiji.
MCBH hosted the crews, the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and local elders with honors, song and dance, storytelling, and good food prior to the festival participants departure to Ku’uloa, HI where the Wa’a Festival is being held. Seven crews in total came from Tahiti, Cook Islands, Hawai’i Island, Maui, and O’ahu, to moor at MCBH. The longest trip traveled was 3,200 miles over 22 days, using only traditional Polynesian wayfinding techniques to guide the crew along their journey. The incredible trip required the crew to utilize minimal modern techniques and equipment, reaching back generations, connecting them with their heritage.
The president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and master navigator, Nainoa Thompson spoke to the attendants, praising the prodigious efforts required to make this event happen. “I look at these canoes. They’re coming 3,200 miles; they’re coming 2,400 miles. And they’re here to honor something larger and greater than who we are; it’s the family. There are canoes from Micronesia, 5,000 miles away; seven miles down the road. There are people from Rapa Nui now connected to people from Taiwan. Tomorrow is another historic day, and it starts here.”
The significance of holding the gathering of canoes and elders at Marine Corps Base Hawai’i is rooted in Hawai’ian mythos. The Mokapu Peninsula, where MCBH stands sentinel, derives its name from Moku kapu, meaning “sacred island.” According to Dr. Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, renowned composer and kumu hula, or master teacher of Hawai’ian dance, “when you come to MCBH, you think you’re just coming to a military base, but you’re not, you’re actually coming to your ancestor. It’s not just the ancestor of Hawai’i, it’s the ancestor of all of Polynesia.” Mokapu was the land where the gods wove the fabric of life and brought the world and all people into existence. Thompson reflected on the diversity of the people assembled in celebration, “We come together from very diverse communities, and we have to! Diversity must be our strength, not what divides us. If it divides us, it will tear us apart. Hawai’i is better than that; our communities have proven that. If we really want to accomplish something, we have to come together, and today has proven that.”
The 13th Festival of the Pacific Arts and Culture in Hawai’i serves as a vibrant platform for fostering cultural exchange, celebrating indigenous artistry, and promoting regional solidarity among Pacific nations. The festival aims to preserve and showcase the rich heritage of Pacific peoples while nurturing dialogue and understanding among participants and audiences alike. Marine Corp Base Hawai’i’s participation and the events held in Hawai’i highlights both cultural diversity and the military's strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2024 21:09 |
| Story ID: | 474957 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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