Hōkūleʻa visit emphasizes culture and environmental stewardship

As tribal members lined the shore on the backside of Shakes Island, dressed in regalia from their respective clans, one of their voices rang out.

"Where do these boats come from?"

"We are the children of Hawaii. We come from Hawaii," came the response from a canoe in Reliance Harbor.

"Aahá. It is good to see you again. Aahá. Come on our land. You are welcome."

From the moment the sailing vessel Hōkūleʻa appeared on the horizon June 27 to greet the Tlingit tribe near Petroglyph Beach for an escort to Shakes Island, until three days later when they headed south for Ketchikan, the Moananuiākea (Voyage for Earth) project brought with it an exchange of cultures, ideas and fellowship.

Dancing, singing, storytelling, food and environmental stewardship highlighted the visit of the Hawaiians, who will continue to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean over the next 47 months, logging 43,000 nautical miles.

The visit began with traditional greetings and permission to come onto Tlingit Aaní (the Land of the Tlingit), with Ben Jackson, an elder from Kake, taking the leadership role in the welcoming canoe that greeted the visitors.

"I was welcoming them to Wrangell, and (said I was) very proud of them for rowing so far to get to us," he said. "I also said to our ears it was like thunder happening to see the Hawaiians come around the point. It was a proud moment for me because I've never done it. I've never seen it."

Jackson said he was honored when asked to take the leadership role in tribute of his late father, Tommy T. Jackson, who was a community leader. "The Lower 48 tribes call their leaders 'Chief.' We don't do that. We call ours aan sʼaatí (master of the land). Like a mirror of our tribe," he said.

Though the two cultures are separated by thousands of nautical miles, they found they had more in common - from caring for the ocean environment surrounding their lands, to passing on traditions to younger generations.

"Navigation (practices) were lost for 100 years, 200 years," said Dino Miranda, a crew member on the Hōkūleʻa. "Now we have Lucy (Lee) and other young navigators. Resurgence is heavy in Hawaii because all the kids 18 years old and under, they know about Hōkūleʻa."

He used Lee as an example of what it takes for the younger generation to step up and continue the sailing tradition. "To have the passion they have to stay on a canoe, it takes a lot. They take a beating. They're tough."

The Hōkūleʻa has five bunks along either side of the twin-hulled, 65-foot-long craft, so the crew, which can be eight to 12 people, takes turns sleeping.

Miranda's family has been involved with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, starting with his parents "back in the day." It's something he's passing on to his son.

"My son is only 11 years old and he can stir his canoe by himself," he said. "He wants to come on journeys, and I say, 'Son, it's not your time.'"

At a community potluck the evening after the Hōkūleʻa's arrival, Wrangell Cooperative Association members shared tribal history, stories, song and dance - as did the visiting crew - along with their efforts to sustain the environment in Southeast.

"One of the challenges that we run into here in Wrangell is the issue of transboundary mining," said Esther Aaltséen Reese, tribal administrator for WCA. She talked about the efforts of the Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission to fight mining in British Columbia and protect waterways, specifically citing the open-pit gold and copper Red Chris Mine as an example.

"It is an enormous mine," she said. The claims cover about 57,000 acres. "The tribe is going to do flyovers of that with local leadership to try to gain awareness. A lot of people aren't aware that we have these mines on the Stikine River and if they were to go, it would be absolutely detrimental to not only our community but that of our brothers and sisters in Petersburg, Kake, Prince of Wales, Ketchikan. It would have far-reaching effects."

Reese said the commission is working to "get a seat at the table with Canada" to have input on transboundary mining.

That was the kind of information the crew of the Hōkūleʻa was hoping to glean on their visit, said Capt. Mark Ellis.

"We're voyaging for Earth and the future and our families and Indigenous populations," he said. "From each site, we hope to get culture exchanges and learn ... all the great things Wrangell is doing. How can we learn from them and how can we share with them."

The meetings with leaders and storytellers in each community, Ellis said, help to inspire the crew. In turn, they share those ideas and stories on their website and social media channels to inspire others to make a difference.

For some members of the community, the visit was significant, as they had been in Wrangell when the Polynesian Voyaging Society visited 30 years ago, as part of a similar journey.

"This is just the most exciting thing in my life," said Annette Thompson, who helped escort the crew on the original trip through the Wrangell Narrows with her late husband Louie Thompson.

On June 28, members of the WCA and the Hōkūleʻa crew traveled to Old Town, but the trip was dampened by a wet weather system moving through the region. The weather delayed the vessel's travel south, keeping them in town an extra two days until they were able to leave on Saturday, July 1.

"The weather way up north above Juneau has been very cold and mean," Ellis said. "As we've been heading down south from Juneau, it's gotten warmer and sunnier," though they have still encountered a lot of rain.

At the departure ceremony, more songs, dances and prayers were shared, as tribal and crewmembers raised their voices in joy and gratitude, stomping their feet and causing the downtown airplane float to move up and down.

"There's a saying in Hawaii," Ellis said. "'Our sails are set, and the canoe will go.' We want to teach you this."