Canoes and the art of navigation are living testimonies of centuries of tradition and cultural identity, say members of voyaging community
Understanding the history of Polynesian voyaging propels us thousands of years back in time, when the ocean functioned as a highway and wayfinders sailed back and forth their island homes, says the Polynesian Voyaging Society. “The canoe represents many things,” said Mark Ellis, director of voyaging experiences at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). He said it’s more than just a vessel that gets people “from point A to point B”; it’s a “spaceship” of their ancestors that represents “the ingenuity and innovation they had at the time when canoes were first built.”
Ellis said canoes were initially coastal tools that helped people gather resources, but over generations they evolved into vessels capable of venturing farther and deeper into the sea. This evolution, according to Ellis, connected different islands across the great ocean and opened many doors to seafarers. “The canoe represents possibilities, and those possibilities are endless,” he emphasized.
Joseph Genz, in his article about voyaging in the Marshall Islands, said this tradition of navigating the ocean speaks to how Polynesians and Oceanians survive and thrive through their deep connection with nature. Ellis said this bond is reflected in a traditional Hawaiian wisdom:
He waʻa, he moku; he moku, he waʻa—the canoe is an island, and the island is a canoe.
This proverb, according to Ellis, captures the canoe as a metaphor for life. “When we live this saying, it means when we go out to sea on a deep-sea voyaging canoe, everything we need to survive is on that deck,” he said. Just as an island contains the resources necessary for people to live, so does a canoe; it carries food, water, shelter and the people needed to survive the journey at sea, Ellis explained.
The vision of reviving the thousand-year-old tradition of wayfinding is engraved on every canoe that leaves the shore and braves legendary sea routes today—from Hokulea, the “mother of all canoes,” to Iosepa, BYU–Hawaii and PCC’s Hawaiian voyaging canoe.
Values that transcend the sea
As captain of Iosepa’s voyaging crew, Ellis said the number one value on deck is caring. “As master navigator Nainoa Thompson has said, care for each other, care for the canoe and care for the resources we have,” Ellis shared. This value, he continued, is something they bring back to the islands where survival and prosperity depend on community and stewardship.
Ellis said caring is especially critical on canoes like Iosepa, where crew members share a space of only 10 feet by 40 feet for weeks on end. This, he added, is one of the ways voyaging expands a person’s perspective and understanding of who they are. “These experiences teach me how far I can go and how much I can accomplish,” he shared. He said crew members learn to coexist harmoniously through mutual respect, shared responsibility and support.
These lessons are directly applicable on land, Ellis said, particularly in Hawaiian culture where caring for the land, waters and each other adheres to the traditional values of mālama ʻāina, to care for the land and aloha or compassion and love.
Duty to pass the knowledge forward
Ellis said his role as captain bestows on him the duty—or kuleana—to pass on what he has learned to future generations. For him, knowledge should not be withheld; it must be allowed to also take root in the lives of those who come after. “We don’t want to learn things and keep them to ourselves without allowing others the chance to learn and grow,” he said.
“It’s about both sharing knowledge and creating opportunities,” Ellis stressed. He said part of this responsibility includes making it possible for younger generations to step up and gain experiences. This effort, he said, is not limited to voyages—it also involves outreach programs that bring canoe training to schools and local communities.
Apart from Iosepa, Ellis also introduced a younger and smaller canoe, named Ka ‘Uhane Holokai, that fulfills the purpose of spreading the art of wayfinding to the next generations. Launched in 2023, the canoe was initially designed to introduce PCC’s guests to Polynesian navigation. “Over time, however, it became a training platform for Iosepa crew members,” he shared.
Ellis said Ka ‘Uhane Holokai offers a taste of seamanship to both aspiring crew and younger students. “It allows us to give experiences on the water on a smaller scale than Iosepa. The rigging is very similar, so crew members can practice pulling lines and learning skills,” he explained. He said this is a manifestation—one of many—of the dedication of today’s Hawaiians to preserving their heritage, which makes the culture so dynamic.
Voyage towards tomorrow
As part Native Hawaiian, Ellis said he grew up with the narrative that Native Hawaiians don’t have the propensity for doing certain things. He said it was a misconception that shaped his identity. Learning about great voyagers, navigators and explorers was what shifted this perspective, he shared. “I saw what modern Hawaiians are doing and realized I don’t have to be shaped by other people’s views. I can be what I see, and more importantly, I can be what I do.” His relationship with voyaging, he said, paved for him routes towards greater things.
Ellis said this transformation is what he aspires to share not only in the Pacific but across the globe. Such life-changing experiences on the water, he said, is not restricted to certain ethnicities—the ocean is open and free.
The canoe allows people, not just Hawaiians, to see what they can accomplish and to understand their identity, whether that’s as a child of God, a Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Filipino or anything else.
Feeling the wind, the swell and the rhythms of the sea is an experience that Ellis said shouldn’t be lost in videos and books. “Stepping on the vessel, feeling the heat of the sun and the cold of the rain are experiences that must live through people,” he shared. He said he hopes the art of navigation remains a significant part of Hawaiian culture and that it could be carried forward with intention and care for those who will come next to take the helm.