Our Micronesian Cousins Are Voyaging Too!

According to an April 24 article in the Marianas Variety, a Micronesian newspaper, 25 traditional voyagers arrived to Saipan on three canoes after five days of sailing to take part in the Flame Tree Arts Festival. A 70 year old navigator, Topias Urupoa, led 15 voyagers on two of the canoes that sailed from Satawal (home of Mau Piailug). The third canoe carrying 10 people was navigated by Cesario Sewralur, Mau Piailug's son. As many of us know, Mau Piailug taught the art of traditional navigation to Nainoa Thompson, which led to the rebirth of this art in Hawai'i and throughout Polynesia.

Like the recent voyage of Hōkūle'a to Palmyra, the voyagers aboard the canoes to Saipan were students of Urupoa and Sewralur who are passing on traditional navigational skills to a new generation.

Unlike the Hōkūle'a voyage, the crew ate mainly breadfruit and coconuts. The breadfruit was prepared to last for days and the coconuts were not husked to make them last longer. Wow, that's hard core!

Our sailing caps are off to these intrepid voyagers and we send them a deep mahalo for keeping the tradition of wayfinding alive in Micronesia.

Here is  the full article, Saipan Welcomes Traditional Canoes. 

Cesario Sewralur and Pauline Sato in front of Alingano Maisu in Palau, 2007.

Photo courtesy of Mālama Hawai‘i