“He wa‘a he moku, he moku he wa‘a.” The canoe is an island. The island is a canoe. This `olelo no`eau, this wise saying, guides the daily actions of Chadd Paishon, the featured speaker this Saturday, February 18, at the Malalo o ka Po Lani program at the Ellison Onizuka Visitor Information Station on Mauna Kea. Paishon is a Pwo Navigator, Executive Director of Nā Kālai Wa`a, and accomplished musician.
The `olelo no`eau he lives by and teaches means that the skills, values, and resources necessary for survival on a canoe are the same ones necessary for survival on an island. Today, by extension, they are the same skills needed to survive on the island Earth in the great sea of Space.
At a recent lecture at the Lyman Mission House and Museum, Paishon said, “the values you take with you - Respect, compassion, your work ethic, and the supplies you take – these are all essential to surviving on a canoe. They are also essential to living on an island, and to living on the Earth. When we take the future navigators out on the canoe, it’s not just about that voyage on that canoe. It’s about us as a people; our connection to each other, to this community, this place, to the planet.”
Chadd ‘Onohi Paishon joined the Polynesian Voyaging Society in 1990, as the society was preparing for a 1992 voyage to Rarotonga. Immersing himself in the apprentice navigator program, he studied with the late traditional navigator Mau Pialug. In 2007, Paishon was one of five navigators that the esteemed Pialug inducted as Pwo.
Guided by the stars, currents, birds, and the wisdom of their ancestors, the ancestors of today’s Hawaiians sailed here to the most remote cluster of habitable islands in the world. Here they developed a sustainable society with a complex legal and political structure, highly refined arts and culture, and a huge body of scientific knowledge in agriculture, aquaculture, and astronomy.
At Saturday’s program, Paishon will share his experiences in studying and teaching the skills and values of traditional navigation to not only preserve and perpetuate an ancient tradition, but to give future generations the skills to navigate the future.
Visitors to the mountain should wear layers, including a nice warm jacket. Socks and shoes are recommended, and gloves can be quite nice. Bring a bottle of water to drink, and a flashlight. Be polite to those who are stargazing and cover the light with a red lens or filter. Tissues for those whose noses run in cold weather are good, as well. Please read this link for more safety information.
For those unfamiliar with the island, there are no streetlights on the road up the mountain. We must preserve our beautiful dark skies! And, Mauna Kea sticks her head up above the clouds, which means you will be driving through them, so plan for at least an hour of travel time from Hilo. Please read this link for driving information.
Hawai`i is still in the season of Ho`oilo, the wet season, nearing the end of the month of Ka`elo. Even if the day starts out dry, the weather can be quite changeable, especially on the Hilo/Hāmākua uplands.
At this time of year, tuber-type plants are unfurling their leaves in the saturated uplands. Traditional farmers are taking advantage of the muddy soil to plant those crops which need a good soak. The migratory birds, an important food source in ancient times, have regained their fat after their long journey from the North.
Soon the months of Kaulua, Nana, and Welo will follow the rains, and at last, the month of Ikiiki will begin Kau, the hot dry season.
Some prominent stars and constellations this month are: Pūnana (Nest), also known as Hōkū Pa`a (Fixed Star), in English called the North Star; `Iwa Wahine (Lady Frigate Bird), known in English as the Big Dipper, `Iwa Keli`i, or `Iwa Lani (Royal or Heavenly Frigate Bird), in English called Casseopeia; Makali`i , or the Pleiades, and Pūlelehua, or Orion.
After the program in the lecture room, participants are invited to go up to the free star-gazing program at the Visitor Information Station, where the Culture Night hosts will point out Hawaiian constellations. They also will be available to sign CDs of the stories and music they share during the program.
For more information on the Malalo i ka Po Lani culture night programs at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, contact the Mauna Kea Visitor’s Information Station. Phone: (808) 961-2180 Fax: (808) 969-4892.
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