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Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey

From Heidi Chang | 00:06:07
Producers: Heidi Chang

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When the Hawaiian canoe Hokulea was built in the 70's, it helped spark a Hawaiian renaissance and a rebirth in polynesian voyaging throughout the Pacific. The documentary, "Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey," chronicles that revival and some of Hokulea's early voyages, and is now available on DVD. Hokulea recently completed a historic journey to Micronesia and Japan in 2007.

Over the years, as European influence grew in Hawaii, the art of "wayfinding"--navigating without instruments, was nearly lost. In the 70's, some Hawaiians began "wayfinding" again. Their story is told in the documentary, "Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey," which is now available on DVD.

The film chronicles the revival of polynesian voyaging in Hawaii. After building the double-hulled canoe, Hokulea, the voyagers turned to Micronesian navigator Mau Pialug, to teach them the lost art of sailing long distances using only the signs of nature, such as the stars, the moon, the sun and the ocean swells. Nainoa Thompson became the first Hawaiian in 600 years to master that tradition and has been training a whole new generation of navigators.

Hokulea has become a symbol of pride for Native Hawaiians. It's also a floating classroom to train future navigators and for learning more about our natural worl. This story includes interviews with filmmaker Gail Evenari, Nainoa Thompson and one of his students, and also anthropologist Dr. Ben Finney.

Update: In 2007, Hokulea accompanied another canoe called Maisu to the home of Mau Pialug in Micronesia. The Hawaiians gave Pialug the canoe as a gift of gratitude for teaching them how to navigate without instruments. Hokulea also completed its voyage to Japan that same year.
Polynesian Voyaging Society Weblog: http://pvshawaii.squarespace.com

Originally broadcast on NPR in May 1999, when the film, "Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey," made its debut on PBS to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The film has been released on DVD and is available at: http://maidenvoyage.com/products.html

Winner of the 1999 Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter Excellence In Journalism Award. Hide full description

Over the years, as European influence grew in Hawaii, the art of "wayfinding"--navigating without instruments, was nearly lost. In the 70's, some Hawaiians began "wayfinding" again. Their story is told in the documentary, "Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey," which is now available on DVD. The film chronicles the revival of polynesian voyaging in Hawaii. After building the double-hulled canoe, Hokulea, the voyagers turned to Micronesian navigator Mau Pialug, to teach them the lost art of sailing long distances using only the signs of nature, such as the stars, the moon, the sun and the ocean swells. Nainoa Thompson became the fir...
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Taki Telonidis

Posted on February 25, 2007 at 06:50 PM | Permalink

Review of Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey

This is a competently produced report about the rebirth of Wayfinding, an ancient form of marine navigation used by Pacific Islanders. The story is largely drawn from a film documentary about Wayfinding which chronicles the voyages of Hokulea, a traditional canoe that has been navigated great distances with this technique. The story?s structure is straightforward and the narration clear. The piece touches on several interesting themes such as how Wayfinding has instilled a sense of pride and dignity to the Hawaiian and other Pacific cultures. The topic is worthy of a more expansive report, one that might include scenes from an actual voyage, and which looks more deeply into how the rebirth of Wayfinding is changing the lives of the people who are practicing it for the first time in generations.

Broadcast History

Originally broadcast on NPR's Morning Edition in May 1999, when the film "Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey" made it's debut on PBS.

Timing and Cues

HOST INTRO:
Centuries before European explorers entered the Pacific Ocean, Polynesian seafarers had already explored the Pacific, settling in the islands in the middle. They traveled in canoes using the art of "wayfinding," navigating without instruments, using only the stars, the moon, the sun and the ocean swells. But over the years, as European influence grew in Hawaii and other islands, the art of "wayfinding" was nearly lost. Since the 1970's, some people in Hawaii have begun "wayfinding" again. Their story is told in a documentary called "Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey," which is now available on DVD. Heidi Chang reports from Hawaii.

IN CUE: Sound of canoe out in the open ocean.

OUTCUE: I'm Heidi Chang in Hawaii. Sound of canoe in open ocean.

TAG: The story of Hawaii's voyagers doesn't end with the film. Since the documentary came out, Nainoa Thompson and his crew have sailed thousands of miles to Rapa Nui or Easter Island and throughout the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. In 2007, Hokulea (Ho-koo-leh-uh), also completed a historic journey to Micronesia and Japan.

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