Hōkūleʻa stops in Prince Rupert, prepares for next leg through British Columbia

After a few days of cultural exchange in Old Masset, Hōkūleʻa departed Haida Gwaii in the early morning on July 14, crossed the calm seas of Hecate Strait in the lee of a low pressure system, and 10 hours later arrived in Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Two canoes greeted Hōkūleʻa and after an exchange of protocol, the chiefs and community in full regalia welcomed the crew ashore.  Hōkūleʻa captain Nikki Kamalu greeted the crowd of more than 100 people in both English and Hawaiian. The crew then attended a ceremony of speeches and dancing by four different tribes: Haida, Tshimsian, Tlingit, and Nisgaʻa who all worked together to celebrate the arrival of Hōkūleʻa. Parliament representative Taylor Bachrach was also in attendance.

Prince Rupert is the final destination for Leg 4 of the Moananuiākea Voyage.  Members of the Leg 5 crew arrived in Prince Rupert on Saturday and have been conducting canoe tours and preparing the canoe for the next segment of the voyage, which will tentatively include British Columbia stops in Klemtu, Bella Bella, Namu, Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, Alert Bay, Brown’s Bay Resort, and the Campbell River Discovery Harbour Marina.

Weather permitting, Hōkūleʻa will depart Prince Rupert July 20.  

The Moananuiākea Voyage is on a 42-month, 41,000-mile journey to 46 countries and archipelagoes, 100 indigenous territories and 345 ports. The goal of the voyage is to develop young leaders and engage communities around the world to take part in navigating earth towards a healthy, thriving future.

For the latest updates and to track the Moananuiākea Voyage, visit hokulea.com.