#Taputapuātea

OHA, Kamehameha Schools represent Hawaiʻi in French Polynesia

Members of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, led by Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele and CEO Stacy Ferreira, are representing Hawaiʻi at the annual Raromataʻi Festival in Raʻiātea, French Polynesia.

Thousands gather in Papeʻetē to celebrate the arrival of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia

Voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived in Papeʻetē yesterday to a celebration that brought together thousands of people from across Tahiti, Hawaiʻi, and beyond. Accompanied by Tahitian voyaging canoe Fa‘afaite, a fleet of smaller canoes, paddlers, and jet skis, the vessels sailed into the harbor in a moment that honored half a century of Hōkūleʻa’s legacy and the ancestral relationship between Hawaiʻi and French Polynesia.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia make landfall at French Polynesia’s Taputapuātea

On Tuesday, at approximately 9:45 a.m., the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s traditional voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia, accompanied by Tahiti’s canoe Fa‘afaite, arrived at their first stop in French Polynesia: Taputapuātea.

Hōkūleʻa crew sights land in the Tuamotus, continues toward Taputapuātea

The crew of the Polynesian voyaging canoe, Hōkūleʻa sighted distant lights on the horizon, Saturday—marking their first visual confirmation of land since departing Hilo on June 3. A safety crew aboard the Hikianalia confirmed it was the island of Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia depart Hilo for French Polynesia to continue Moananuiākea Voyage

 The four-year journey spans an estimated 43,000 nautical miles, 36 countries and archipelagoes, nearly 100 Indigenous territories and more than 400 ports.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia departure from Hilo delayed until Tuesday due to weather

The Polynesian Voyaging Society announced that the Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia will now depart from Hilo on Tuesday morning, June 3, after postponing the voyage due to weather conditions.