I Nui Ke Aho

I NUI KE AHO USES OUR TRADITIONAL, DOUBLE-HULLED HAWAIIAN SAILING CANOE, WANANA PAOA, ON THE NORTH SHORE OF OAHU TO PROVIDE SAFETY-FOCUSED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON AND ABOUT THE CANOE. WE TEACH COLLABORATION, THE TRADITIONAL NAVIGATOR'S MINDSET, PONO (HONORABLE AND CORRECT) DECISION-MAKING, AND VOYAGING TO YOUTH, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. OUR VOLUNTEERS MAINTAIN AND CARE FOR THE CANOE UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF AN EXPERIENCED NAVIGATOR AND CAPTAIN. PRACTICING MUTUAL RESPECT, THEY STUDY AND TEACH ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, HAWAIIAN CULTURAL VALUES, AND THE PROTECTION AND PERPETUATION OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES THROUGH OUR VOYAGING CANOE WANANA PAOA, KAHOKUWELOWELO HEIAU AND OUR HOME LANDS AND WATERS. MISSION: AS A VOYAGING ORGANIZATION, WE STRIVE TO GROW A VIBRANT NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS, VALUES AND ENRICHES ITS CULTURE, PLACE AND PEOPLE.

IN 2021, FOR THE WAA (VOYAGING CANOE) COMPONENT OF OUR NON-PROFIT, SINCE THE PANDEMIC SHUT US DOWN FOR THE YEAR, I NUI KE AHO CONDUCTED CREW TRAINING AMONG 58 VOLUNTEERS ON THE CANOE AND AT THE NAVIGATIONAL HEIAU (TEMPLE AND SACRED PLACE OF LEARNING) KAHOKUWELOWELO (TO WHICH WE HAVE SECURED A RIGHT OF ENTRY FROM THE PRIVATE LANDOWNER), AND SUCCESSFULLY CARED FOR THE CANOE WANANA PAOA, MOSTLY AT DOCK DURING THE SPRING, WHEN THE NORTH SHORE OF OAHU HAS LARGE SURF THAT KEEPS US FROM SAILING MUCH. WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME MAINTENANCE OF THE CANOE WHILE AT DOCK AND WE INVESTED IN SOME PROFESSIONAL DRY DOCK WORK SINCE WE COULD NOT SAIL ANYWAY. AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM CONTINUED TO HELP US WITH OUR MAINTENANCE SINCE OUR VOLUNTEERS WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO HELP US. WE DID SOME WORK ON THE CANOE IN THE WINTER TO HELP GET HER READY TO -- WE HOPED -- SAIL AGAIN IN THE NEW YEAR.

IN 2021, FOR THE EDUCATION/OUTREACH PROGRAM COMPONENT, I NUI KE AHO SHARED VIA VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN VOYAGING LESSONS SUCH AS CELESTIAL NAVIGATION AND OTHER OBSERVATION SKILLS THAT ARE PART OF CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND THE CULTURAL PRACTICE OF VOYAGING. WHENEVER THE STUDENTS LEARNED ABOUT ANY ELEMENT OF VOYAGING, AN AVERAGE OF 95 PERCENT OF STUDENTS EXPRESSED THAT THEY FELT MORE CONNECTED TO THEIR NATIVE HAWAIIAN CULTURAL IDENTITY. WE CREATED VIRTUAL LESSON PLANS FOR HOW TO USE THE TRADITIONAL STAR COMPASS, HOW TO OBSERVE AND INTERPRET NATURAL PHENOMENA, HOW TO TIE NAUTICAL KNOTS AND THE DIFFERENT ROLES OF THOSE SAILING ON THE CANOE. WE FOCUSED ON TEACHING SAFETY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A NAVIGATOR'S MINDSET AND HAWAIIAN VALUES, WHICH CAN BE CARRIED WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO, ON THE CANOE OR NOT. OTHER LESSONS INCLUDED CANOE PLANTS, HAWAIIAN MOON PHASES, ORIGIN OF PLACE NAMES, AND TRADITIONAL VOYAGING TECHNIQUES.