Maritime Connections

“One of the reasons why we are sailing around the world is to bridge ancient wisdom with modern connections. And I feel like this is an incredible opportunity to draw on our shared resources with the Maritime Museum.” says Worldwide Voyage Crewmember, Linda Furuto.

Located in Auckland Harbor, the New Zealand Maritime Museum is an impressive educational resource to share and perpetuate rich maritime cultures – from traditional Polynesians voyagers and canoes who first settled Aotearoa, to modern sailors and vessels that fill her waters today.

Along with the excitement of sailing, the Maritime Museum’s mission is to unite people and the sea – a similar mission shared in Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia’s Worldwide Voyage! It was fitting that during their long stay in Auckland Harbor, the canoes would host educational outreach opportunities with the support of the Maritime Museum.

Worldwide Voyage Master Navigator, Kālepa Baybayan says that, “We are forging this relationship with the Auckland Maritime Museum. It’s a true partnership; it’s all being done in the spirit of service to our communities. They support the mission of Mālama Honua, and in that effort, they’ve opened up their facilities to the canoes and to crews and we had this excellent opportunity to host the community event.”

The Maritime Museum hosted the Mālama Honua Community Event for the public to support and extend the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage mission to locals and visitors of the Auckland area.

“We’ve called it that because it represents the voyage of the Polynesian Voyaging Society around the world. But we also felt that that name is what we wanted this weekend to be all about – it’s about raising peoples understanding and awareness of the issues that the sea faces, and of course the people who all rely on the sea face.” says Department of Education Manager at the New Zealand Maritime Museum, Karen Walters.

“We have all kinds of stations here today at the Mālama Honua Outreach Event. We have the star compass, science and outreach experiments, informational booth and we also have an Aloha ʻĀina Peace Flags booth as well, where we can engage the public in helping them understand their unique and special role on island Earth – and what they can contribute to the planet as well.” says Furuto.

“We seek to have people wonder and be inspired but, maybe to also see a transformation in their thinking. And you see that when you see their faces. And when you hear the little conversations going on, between the grand parents or the parents and the children, that’s the magic.” says Walters.

“I think all children, if they are engaged effectively, are moved, are inspired. And that’s all you trying to do – it’s having an idea go off in their minds. But if we can influence this world one person at a time, then better for us.” says Baybayan.

“What we discover and what the magic of it is, is we actually discover our similarities – how we all have a common unity, and that is our ocean and our people who live within it. So I think that that’s really, the joy of bringing the two groups together and working together.” says Walters.