How did Polynesian wayfinders navigate the Pacific Ocean? - Alan Tamayose and Shantell De Silva
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Imagine setting sail from Hawaii in a canoe. Your target is a small island thousands of kilometers away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — a body of water that covers more than 160 million square kilometers. For thousands of years, Polynesian navigators managed voyages like this without the help of modern navigational aids. How did they do it? Alan Tamayose and Shantell De Silva explain.
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Alan Tamayose, Shantell De Silva
- Director Patrick Smith
- Script Editor Brendan Pelsue
- Animator Patrick Smith
- Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
- Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
- Narrator Addison Anderson
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The successful voyage of the Hōkūleʻa ignited a modern-day cultural renaissance. Can you think of other examples that have taken place in recent years?
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Emma Krejsbol
Lesson completed
Denmark has been attempting to revitalize ancient Danish ecological features, by protecting/expanding the Coppice Forests. They're hoping to reintroduce native species and restore the forests as an homage to traditional Danish cultural heritage.
Grant Wilhelm
Lesson in progress
An example that has happened recently would be the submarine exploration in the Mariana trench. This ventured into new depths that were seen as Unimaginable. We had no idea that this existed
Jaylene Gadson Doe
Lesson in progress
No I can not. Even if they did do a modern-day cultural renaissance, I don't think it would be talked about because not a lot of people care about stuff like that anymore.
Roberto Gonzalez
Lesson completed
the movie moana comes to my mind
Summer Downie-Sinclair
Lesson completed
Renaissance means 'rebirth'. The voyage helped us notice polynesian culture again.
We have done amazing things in recent years, but i don't think we have done anything like the Hōkūleʻa voyage.
Eve Proot
Lesson completed
There have been quite a few new voyages and journeys that took place around the same time as the recent Hokule'a. From my understanding renaissance means 'the rebirth' so being the renaissance means that this particular adventure was very meaningful to the community to those who share the culture with the polynesians.
Harry Connerty
Lesson completed
I can think of other examples that have taken in recent years in the modern day is how successful trips are different know than a year ago.
Samuel Conte
Lesson in progress
in response to Sean Lidy Show comment
uhuh
xzayvier Andrade–brown
Lesson completed
in response to Tristan Inofinada (2025) Show comment
a lot of hawaiian religon has something involved with a wa'a to the oceans of kanaloa in my opinion our culture wouldn't be the same if we didn't voyage learn new things a lot of the wa'a was used through war and cerimonial arrivings like the season of makahiki the season of ku it really. and doing hawaiian culture because the polynesian triangle uses the kinda the same method because when kamehameha used the method to travel to other islands to conquer those islands what im saying is hawaii wouldn't be the same without voyaging and we still use those same methods thats how hokulea succselsfuly made it around theit still signifies that we still hold onto the past world voyage because us kanaka still hold onto the past and that is good
grace dray
Lesson completed
I feel one example that was kind of recent is that people started to speak Hawaiian and doing Hawaiian traditions after being forced not to, and coming back with an interest to learn
