Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to be officially welcomed in Waitangi today

The crews of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia will be officially welcomed in Waitangi by the Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae and the Te Tai Tokerau communities with a pōwhiri, a formal, sacred Māori ceremony. 

Weather permitting, Hōkūleʻan and Hikianalia are expected to be approaching Waitangi’s Te Tii Bay on Friday, Nov. 14, at approximately 2 p.m. NZST (Thursday, Nov. 13, approximately 3 p.m. HST).  The event can be viewed live on the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Facebook page: @hokuleacrew facebook.com/hokuleacrew.

Waiting to greet the canoes in the Bay will be Māori war canoe Ngā Toki Matawhaorua, the same waka that greeted Hōkūleʻa 40 years ago, marking the beginning of a powerful voyaging relationship between the Māori and Hawaiians. The largest ceremonial canoe in Aotearoa, Ngā Toki Matawhaorua will transfer the Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia crews to shore where the welcoming ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. at Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived in Aotearoa’s Bay of Islands last week after 17 days of sailing from Rarotonga, Cook Islands.  Since their arrival, the crew have been under kapu, which will be lifted after they are ceremonially welcomed tomorrow.

Scheduled Public Events in Aotearoa

Waitangi:

Friday, Nov. 14 – The canoes will sail into Te Tii Bay between 2-2:30pm (NZST) followed by a pōwhiri, a formal, sacred Māori welcoming ceremony at Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Saturday, Nov. 15 – At dawn, a ceremony will be held to unveil a special carving representing Ngāti Ruawāhia, and a 40th Tribute ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. (NZST) honoring Sir James Henare, Sir Hector Busby and Hawaiian leader Myron Pinky Thompson, Nainoa’s father who served as PVS president for about two decades. 

Sunday, Nov. 16 – The canoes will remain at Te Tii Bay through a series of events hosted by Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae, with community support and in collaboration with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Kamehameha Schools. Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia then depart for Auckland.

Auckland:

Tuesday, Nov. 18 –  Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrive in Waitematā Harbor and are formally welcomed by the Ngāti Whātua Orākei tribe.

Wednesday, Nov. 19 –  PVS CEO Nainoa Thompson is scheduled to deliver a presentation at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) about the 40-year voyaging relationship that has flourished between Hawaiʻi and Aotearoa.  

TBD – Public engagements and dockside canoe tours may take place in the vicinity of the New Zealand Maritime Museum.

Aurere:

Saturday, Nov. 22, 1-4:30 p.m. (NZST) – Tauhere, Sir Hek Busby Kupe Waka Centre, 4554 State Highway 10, Lake Ohia, Doubtless Bay.  Depending on weather conditions on November 19, the canoes may sail north from Auckland for Aurere, the homeland of the late Māori Pwo Navigator and waka builder Sir Hector Busby, where the crew will honor his leadership and role in reviving Māori voyaging. The event will include an afternoon of family fun, Kaupapa Waka, and Hawaiian culture featuring Te Tai Tokerau Tārai Waka, crew of Hōkūleʻan and Hikianalia, and the students and staff of Kamehameha Schools.

Following their New Zealand engagements, the canoes will enter dry dock for maintenance and remain in Aotearoa for approximately six months to wait out the South Pacific hurricane season before continuing their journey through the Pacific in 2026.