First navigator of Hokulea dies
Reported by: Ron Mizutani
Email: rmizutani@khon2.com
Last Update: 10:43 am
He's been called a genius, a one-in-a-million, a man who willingly shared his knowledge during a crucial time for Hawaii and its people. Mau Piailug, the first navigator of the voyaging canoe Hokule'a, died Sunday on his home island of Satawal in Micronesia.
Piailug was a man with vision, vision of the future.
"His teaching was so profound and very simple, it's to sail and to learn and to teach," said master navigator Nainoa Thompson.
Piailug started sailing at the age of five. He studied the stars, the ocean, the winds and currents. For 35 years, he shared his knowledge with those willing to learn. People like Thompson.
"All of us were his students there's no way Hokule'a would've got there without him," said Thompson. "I could not have that learning experience if it weren't for Mau."
Piailug guided the Hokule'a to Tahiti in its maiden voyage in 1976. It was a voyage that symbolized the renaissance of the Hawaiian cultural movement. He eventually handed the steering blade to Thompson -- so Thompson could teach others.
"What he'd want you to do is sail, he'd want you to teach and i think it's his story is our future in voyaging. Our job is to get young people to take that kind of a challenge," said Thompson.
Thompson stares at the ocean at Lanai Lookout reflecting on his special relationship with Piailug. It was here where he and his mentor often met to share, to learn, to visualize.
"It was more than finding just that physical island, it was finding the islands in all of ourselves to feel strong and proud of our ancestors."
Piailug had been battling diabetes for several years. He died Sunday at the age of 78, the last of the great navigators.
"Today we need to celebrate that single individual that has profoundly done so much by just his courage and his knowledge and his skill. Mau is just the testament of inspiration to how a single person can change the lives of so many," said Thompson.
May you sleep well my friend
Replies
Next day, Mau arrived and I introduced him to Pulotu and Kawika. I kept at a distance to respect the male to male talk, something you learn to do when one grow up in Hawaiian house, community and culture. I heard a little bit of the talk Mau said, "I want all the Wa'a's to come to my Island Satuwa..." We went to lunch after his visit with the Pulotu and Kawika. We went to a restruant bar and, being a non Mormon, I forgot and did no think why no one wanted to come to lunch with us. Anyhow, I wanted to have a straight up questions and answers with Mau. I was irritated with the whole thing of voyaging. I know 'stories' behind this whole venture for I followed it from it's first voyage. So I asked him "is rituals important? (I think)" I rephased "Do we have to have rituals?" but in my mind was do we have to respect the 'usage' of rituals? Instead of giving me a forceful answer--like most polynesian men would do to a child or a woman...instead, he was kind, understanding the reasons for my questions and was gentle in aswering. I think he knew that I was too diviant to listen and obey his answer. With wide eyes and full attention given to his answer, he put his eating utensil down and nodded his heard up and down and said, "yes." Being who I was, I remember thinking 'yeah right'. Too much had gone wrong at this point. Too much 'imperalistic crap. Too much little/big chiefs, and too little understanding in the architect of a long voyage, and most important very little respect for brown skin women. Most Na Kanaka men I felt were just jerks! So much foolishness and strongly believe in their imperilistic counterparts. So sad but this is how I felt than and this is how I feel now.
Since that time of learning, I have learned to 'bitch' back at men whereas before that--I was super docile. I wouldn't change a bit of my learning and experience to not argue back and speak my mind. But, that simple part of me (not docile), I use today to listen with compassion, empathy, and kindness for humanity sake. I belive that is what went wrong on the first voyage, Na Kanaka men at first were typical docile to imperialism (the usual) or the imperialistic made so much demands from Na Kanaka which they couldn't accommadate and everything exploded as planned by the imperialist.
Today the imperialist are still ass-holes, and what has changed in me-- is my listening to Na Kanaka men without hesitation to bitch back with a little bit more reasoning in my voice. I hope!
Anyway Mau had a lot to contribute to everyperson that came to know him much more than a teacher of long voyaging. He gave me back my true spirit, my culture, and most important a focus for our childrens future.
It's time for you to mo'e, I will be here when you wake up from your short nap with ton's of questions. Kaohi