Hokule‘a (pictured) and Hikianalia, the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s canoes, are sailing across Earth’s oceans to join and grow the global movement toward a more sustainable world in the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage. Hikianalia arrived in West Maui this week for a three-week stay. PHOTO BY THE POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY/‘OIWI TV.

LAHAINA – The voyaging canoe Hikianalia is journeying around the Hawaiian Islands in search of stories of hope here at home that are making a positive change for Hawaii’s future, inspired by sister canoe Hokule’a’s legacy.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society last week announced that Hikianalia’s Statewide Sail includes a three-week stop here in Lahaina.

Open to the public, a Wa’a Talk is slated from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, at Hui O Wa’a Kaulua (Assembly of the Double-Hulled Canoe) next to 505 Front Street at Kamehameha Iki Park in Lahaina.

The event will feature a Polynesian Voyaging Society Worldwide Voyage (WWV) overview and update, WWV Malama Honua education examples from the classroom by Mary Anna Enriquez and her students at Sacred Hearts School, and Mo’okiha O Pi’ilani voyaging canoe and Hui O Wa’a Kaulua education outreach updates by Kala Baybayan.

On Saturday, Jan. 9, a community outreach day will be held at Hui O Wa’a Kaulua from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring some of the WWV education outreach stations and information from community groups.

Hikianalia is moored outside Lahaina Harbor, and the public will have opportunity to see it on Jan. 9, the community outreach day at Kamehameha Iki Park. Proficient watermen and waterwomen are invited to paddle out and board the canoe.

On land, there will be various outreach stations that provide insight into the mission of the voyage, celestial navigation and crew roles.

“We have also asked a few other local community groups in line with the Malama Honua mission to join us this day with sharing what they are doing to create positive change for our future,” Baybayan explained in an e-mail.

Worldwide Voyage outreach includes hands-on stations that engage participants and feature (dependent on weather) canoe tours, star compass station, peace flag station, media station, science station and WWV information station.

Skills and lessons covered in outreach stations include learning how stars are used in navigation, examining plankton from the ocean locally and learning their importance, understanding the mission of the WWV, skills aboard the canoe and exploring the vessel.

The Worldwide Voyage is an epic educational adventure. PVS explained, “Hokule’a and Hikianalia, our Polynesian voyaging canoes, are sailing across Earth’s oceans to join and grow the global movement toward a more sustainable world. The Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage began in 2013 with a Malama Hawai’i sail around our archipelago, and will continue through 2017 when our new generation of navigators take the helm and guide Hokule’a and Hikianalia back to Polynesia after circumnavigating the globe.

“The Hawaiian name for this voyage, Malama Honua, means ‘to care for our Earth.’ Living on an island chain teaches us that our natural world is a gift with limits and that we must carefully steward this gift if we are to survive together. As we work to protect cultural and environmental resources for our children’s future, our Pacific voyaging traditions teach us to venture beyond the horizon to connect and learn with others. The Worldwide Voyage is a means by which we now engage all of Island Earth – bridging traditional and new technologies to live sustainably, while sharing, learning, creating global relationships, and discovering the wonders of this precious place we all call home.”

For more information and updates, visit www.hokulea.com.

Here in Lahaina, Baybayan explained that with a grant through the Strong Foundation, a classroom was built along with a large traveling star compass to support education and outreach through Hui O Wa’a Kaulua.

The hui continues to deliver a range of engaging educational programs for preschoolers to college students at its base at Kamehameha Iki Park.

“Stay tuned for the exciting upcoming events in 2016. Mo’okiha is currently out of the water but will be re-entering soon after the work being done on the main steering blade is completed. Crew of Mo’okiha will be using Hikianalia for training while she is on Maui. Stay tuned for more information of training opportunities,” Baybayan noted.