Ōlelo Hawai'i
To Understand The Hawaiian Canoe Is To Understand Hawai'i.
The Hawaiian canoe was shaped by the winds, waters, natural resources, and unique conditions of the Hawaiian Islands. Together with the worldview and accumulated knowledge of the people who built and sailed it, these forces produced a remarkable watercraft uniquely adapted to Hawaiʻi.
To make the Hawaiian canoe easier to explore, we have organized the information into distinct but related subject areas. Click on a subject photograph to begin. If you are unsure where to start, scroll to the bottom of this page for suggestions.
Come Explore The Hawaiian Worldview
World View
Living within a world of islands surrounded by vast expanses of ocean, Hawaiians developed a worldview distinctly different from those formed within continental societies.
Come Explore The Core Values that are embeded in the canoe
Core Values
Core Values.
Core values provide the social framework through which ideas of good and evil are understood. These values influence how people interact and make decisions.
It has been said that the canoe shaped the Hawaiian worldview as much as Hawaiians shaped the logs from which their canoes were made.
Explore the unique features of the Hawaiian Canoe
Unique Hawaiian Features
Without barrier reefs, the Hawaiian Islands are exposed directly to the force of North Pacific swells. Every part of the canoe had to respond to Hawaiian waters and work with the other parts as a flexible and balanced system.
Explore both the spiritual and physical process that created the Hawaiian Canoe
Explore the plants that became the Hawaiian Canoe
Traditional Construction Process
Building a canoe was a spiritual undertaking as well as an engineering endeavor.
Canoe And The Forest
The canoe begins in the forest. Because of Hawaiʻi's geographic isolation, its forests provided native materials for canoe construction, including species found nowhere else.
Together with plants brought by early settlers, these materials not only shaped the Hawaiian canoe but became the canoe itself.
Understand how the Hawaiian Canoe survived in this very challenging enviorment
Canoe And The Ocean
While the Hawaiian Canoe came from the forest, it lives on the ocean.
The canoe is a complex engineering marvel
Canoe Part Names
The character of the Hawaiian canoe can be seen in its individual features. Learning the names of these parts helps reveal how Hawaiian builders understood their form, position, and purpose.
The canoe continues to evolove
Economic And Social Change In The Evolution Of The Hawaiian Canoe
The Hawaiian canoe has continually changed, from the introduction of metal tools to the adoption of fiberglass construction. Its uses have also changed. Once essential to daily survival, the canoe is now also used for athletic competition.
Here we examine these developments and the political and social forces that influenced them.
Its more than just shape or form
On Being Hawaiian
The canoe was never simply a watercraft. It's reflected how people lived, worked together, and understood their relationship with the natural world. Today, that connection is beginning to weaken. Here we explore what being Hawaiian might look like in the future.
Observations And Thoughts
Blog posts that explore the natural world that shaped life in Hawaiʻi and the development of the Hawaiian canoe. Topics range from the ocean, winds, weather, and fresh water to forests, native plants, and other features of the island environment.
The mission of He Make'e Wa'a is to support teachers, students, cultural practitioners, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the waʻa as a living expression of Hawaiian knowledge and values.
For links to suggested Lesson Plans, Research Articles and Instructional Videos click here
To learn more about He Make'e Wa'a, Its programs and about this site click here.
If you are unsure as to where to begin may we suggest the following
Want to explore the Hawaiian worldview?
