Wai'anae Hawaiian civic club  

WWW.waianaehcc.org 

Voyaging Canoe                                                                                                                     THE RETURN OF E ALA TO THE WAI`ANAE COAST

History

The building of the E Ala (to awaken, awakening) had a tremendous impact and pride on the community when learning of the canoe.  The nucleus group obtained funding, gathered community leaders and volunteers, and again, bringing the opio (children), makua (teenagers/young adults), and kupuna (elder) together.

This venture was an inspiration of the Wai`anae Hawaiian Civic Club (WHCC) in 1978, and work began in 1981.  Volunteers worked long days and nights to learn the ways of shaping, bending and joining the wood into its present form.  This project mobilized adult community leaders to guide the opio on an intensive search through their legends, back into the local archaeological remains and deep into the oral history of their kupuna.  With the launching of E Ala , a new hope that the spirit of the canoe will travel far among its people.

Crew Training

With E Ala sailing from various harbors around O`ahu, teaching students and teachers the fundamentals of sailing, it became evident that Wai`anae needed its own crew, as in the past, crews had to be recruited from other parts of O`ahu. In the Winter of 2001, the WHCC began its recruiting and training of a first-ever E Ala crew. With professional navigators to assist in their training, workshops included ocean navigation and safety, celestial navigation, canoe building and rope tying to name a few. In the spring of that same year, twelve (12) residents from the Wai`anae moku received certificates commemorating their completion of an eight (8) week course.

In the spring of 2008, a new crew will be trained in the same intensive workshops as the first.  WHCC also hopes to provide additional training i.e., more sailing time, outside island training with other canoes, dry docking, and participation in the annual Makahiki (festival dedicated to the Lono, the deified guardian of agriculture, rain, health and peace) Ceremony. Future goal is to continue providing the children with a passion to sail, and a reason to find their place in history.

Strategic Plan

In 2003, WHCC, partners, community leaders and teachers implemented a 5 Year Strategic Plan to bring E Ala home.  PVS has been approached regarding the canoe’s return to Wai`anae and is enthusiastic about this eventuality. Their commitment to continue supporting E Ala is steadfast, as is our partners, community leaders, teachers and residents. Through this collaboration, E Ala can be maintained in her own moku, and will encourage other communities to develop the same model.