Seven vaka, Polynesian voyaging canoes, arrived in Hilo, Hawaii on Thursday.  The project is called “Te Mana o Te Moana” meaning “The Spirit of the Sea.”     Starting in New Zealand, the seven vaka have sailed north across the Pacific,  by way of the Marquesas and Tahiti.  The vaka are drawn from various islands including Faafaite from Tahiti, Te Matau a Maui from Aotearoa, Marumaru Atua from the Cook Islands, Uto Ni Yalo from Fiji and Gaualofa from Samoa.  After their stop in Hawaii, they plan to sail east to the West coast of the United States before ultimately returning across the Pacific.

Fleet of seven canoes arrive in Hawaii

FAAFAITE

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Thanks to Linda Collison for passing the article along.