Ancient Hawaiian Boat in 1975, historian and Polynesian Voyaging Society member Herb Kawainui Kane designed a replica of a traditional Hawaiian double-hulled voyaging canoe, which he named Hokule‘a, or “Star of Gladness.” In 1976, Hokule‘a departed from Honolua Bay, Maui, and arrived successfully in Tahiti 34 days later, without the aid of any modern navigation instruments. After completing six major voyages over the next couple decades, the Hokule‘a has become a iconic, spiritual symbol for the Hawaiian people and culture.

Although Hokule’a mastered open ocean voyages time and time again, a second canoe was in the works, called Hawai’iloa, which would be built from more traditional materials, difficult to find due to deforestation and a lack of large Koa trees. In 1990, a group of native Alaskan tribes donated two Sitka spruce logs for the canoe, stating “Both the reality and the symbolism of the Hawai’iloa project breathe hope and inspiration into all peoples seeking to maintain their traditions, heritage and culture in a society that does not place a high priority on such things… You do it for the Hawaiian people, but it reaches far beyond. In your canoe you carry all of us who share your vision and aspiration for a people to live and prosper with their future firmly built on the knowledge of their heritage and tradition.”