Prior to the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778, Hawaii had been isolated from the rest of the world for at least 200 years. No one is sure what brought an end to the great voyages that connected Hawaii to the rest of Polynesia, but when the Hokule`a sailed into Tahitian waters in 1978 it awakened a dream like memory of a time when the the people of Hawai`i knew themselves as belonging to a vast family of Pacific Island People.
The scheduled arrival of the Hokule`a at Hana Bay in conjunction with the East Maui Taro Festival holds special meaning as Hana is thought to have been settled during the time of the earliest migrations from Tahiti and the Marqueses. Even today, many of the names of Hana's most significant landmarks such as Ka`uiki and Hamoa can be traced to South Pacific origins. It has even been suggested that some of the family names long associated with the Hana district are derived from the names of some of the ancient voyaging canoes.
Hui `Aina O Hana is exploring ways in which we can help facilitate programs to send representatives from the Hana community to some of the remote islands of the South Pacific as a further means of reopening the bridges of communication between Pacific Island peoples. One such program, under the development of Hui `Aina O Hana Advisory Board member Kekula Bray-Crawford will involve sending a small group to Rapa Iti in the Astrals Islands, south of Tahiti. The trip will entail flying from Tahiti to Rurutu for a couple of days of cultural exchange, then a two day voyage on the supply ship into Rapa. Once there, the group will spend a month sharing stories and gifts and learning the ways of the people of Rata Iti.
To help make these cultural exchanges a reality, Hui `Aina O Hana is establishing a special fund exclusively for the purpose of providing transportation and living expenses for those making the journey. If you would like to help us accomplish our goal of broadening Cultural exchange among Pacific Island peoples, you can make a financial contribution to Hui `Aina O Hana designated specifically for the program. With enough financial support we can send our first group to Rapa Iti this July.
Mahalo for your consideration.
