The Hōkūle'a, known for revitalising ancient voyaging traditions, sets sail on four-year journey of the Pacific

​The ​Hōkūle'a ​​has officially begun its four-year circumnavigation of the Pacific as part of its mission to revive the art and science of wayfinding.

The traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe and its sister canoe Hikianalia will cover 43,000 nautical miles (79,636km) over the next 47 months as it visits nearly 100 indigenous territories.

Polynesian Voyaging Society CEO and navigator Nainoa Thompson said one of the goals of the voyage — called Moananuiākea — was "to connect nations around the Pacific and the globe to build a collective movement to care for the oceans".

"This is about taking discovery and moving it towards ... action that we believe is going to help build a future that is good enough for our kids," he said earlier this year.

Moananuiākea is the Hōkūle'a's 15th major voyage since it first set out on the Pacific Ocean in 1975, but Mr Thompson said this would be the "most difficult".

"Partly because physically, it's the longest time and distance, and it's hard — the currents, the tides, the issue of hypothermia in Alaska, we need to be prepared," he said.

"But what I really mean by most difficult is the achievement of the mission. We're trying to reclaim our relationship to the Earth, and the destination is not ours.

"It's whether this world is going to be healthy for our children."

What is the significance of the Hōkūle'a?

The Hōkūle'a is a replica of an ancient Polynesian voyaging canoe.

It was the first voyaging canoe to be built in Hawai'i in more than 600 years, and it aimed to revitalise voyaging and navigation traditions throughout the Pacific.

Before the invention of the compass, Pacific Islanders navigated open-ocean voyages without instruments, using observations of the stars, the sun, and the ocean swells.

The canoe's twin hulls allow her to handle large swells and her triangular canvas sails can harness winds of up to 20 knots.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society, founded in 1973, said its mission was to encourage the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging to protect cherished cultural values and places.

Cultural blessings and celebratory dances were officially held last week to commence the Moananuiākea Voyage.

The ceremony opened with Alaskan native protocol followed by Hawaiʻi protocol, including Kamehameha Schools dancers who performed a hula to heal the Earth, with movements referring to global warming and rising sea levels.

The crew departed Juneau, Alaska, on the canoe's first leg to Angoon.

With 400 crew, the circumnavigation will visit 36 countries and archipelagos and nearly 100 indigenous territories.

Story By: Dinah Lewis Boucher

Original Story link: https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/hokulea-revitalising-ancient-voyaging-navigation-pacific/102516458