A Culture of Seafaring
Hawaiian
Knowledge
of Land and
Ocean
Canoe
Voyaging
The first “Hawaiians” came from the center of the Polynesian Triangle. Bounded by
Hawai‘i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Rapa Nui (Easter Island), this region covers
more than 10 million square miles. The Polynesian people defined themselves by
their relationship with the ocean. They saw the ocean
as “a familiar, life-giving world that gave food, provided
seaways of exploration, and was strewn with fertile
islands on which one could settle.” In contrast, the first
Europeans to travel the Pacific in the 16th century
feared the ocean as a “terrifying alien void” (Finney).
The canoe represents home for the Hawaiian people
and the essence of Hawaiian values. Only through
laulima (working together) and by paying close
attention to the natural environment could a voyage
be successful.
Canoe Design
The original Polynesian canoes were designed for sailing great distances. At a
waterline length of 55-60 feet, these canoes could handle ocean swells while
holding a full crew and enough supplies for weeks at sea (Kāne). Hawaiians
developed a variation of the original canoe that was smaller, swifter and suited
for inter-island travel.
Over 1,000 years ago, the a