Wayfinding Talk: Voice from the Wa’a

A special wayfinding talk, Voice from the Wa’a, will be held at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.

Keala Kahuanui, a watch captain, cook, and assistant quartermaster aboard the Hōkūle’a will be featured during the Friday evening program. She will recount her experiences of what it took to keep a crew both happy and healthy during a two month period at sea, even amidst a raging storm.

Navigating island Earth towards a healthy and sustainable future is the mission of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage and no one understands sustainability more than the person who plans, weighs, packs, prepares, and cooks all the meal on the wa’a.

A Hawaiian cultural resource teacher at Kanu o ka ‘Aina New Century Public Charter School and a Kailua High alumni, Kahuanui participated on the second leg of the Worldwide Voyage, which left from Tahiti to the Cook Islands, then to Samoa.

In addition to her voyage experience, Kahuanui has been involved in training, sailing, and teaching aboard the Makali’i, a double hulled Hawaiian voyaging canoe on the Big Island, since 2000. She says that her strong voyaging foundation is due credit to some of the fathers of the Polynesia Voyaging Society such as Clay Bertelmann, Shorty Bertelmann, and Chadd Onohi Paishon.

In 2007, Kahuanui set out to sea of her first voyage, Kū Holo Mau. The voyage took her to Micronesia to gift Papa Mau with a Hawaiian voyaging canoe named Alingano Maisu. Voyaging “sisters” Patti Ann Solomon of Kohala, Kanani Kahalehoe of Hana, and Pomai Bertelmann of Waimea also mentored her.

Tickets for the Friday evening program are $10 for non-members and $8 for members. Member level discounts apply.

Interested parties can pre-purchase tickets at the ‘Imiloa front desk or by phone, using Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or JBC by calling (808) 969-9703 during regular business hours. Tickets are non-refundable.

A generous title sponsorship from Matson makes ‘Imloa’s wayfinding programs possible.