On June 17, 2017, a historic homecoming was held for Hōkūleʻa and the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage at Magic Island. After sailing 42,000 miles around the world, the legendary canoe was received by nearly 50,000 people on O‛ahu. The celebrations continued throughout the week, including a Mālama Honua Summit held at the Hawai‛i Convention Center June 18–20.
College of Education (COE) students, faculty, and staff participated with presentations, games, and interactive activities. The public event drew steady attendance from families, school groups, educators, and other community members. Exhibits included a wide range of COE programs and projects.
- Center on Disability Studies (CDS) featured five Native Hawaiian P–20 education projects and provided fun math and science activities for all ages.
- Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG) offered publications on voyaging, the history of Hawai‛i, and Hawai‛i’s natural environment, selling out of one of their original publications on wayfinding.
- Department of Curriculum Studies (EDCS) STEMS² cohort 2 students presented posters of their master’s thesis work and place/culture- based projects; Wai‛anae Coast teachers in the Transforming Teaching project illustrated how culturally sustaining science leads to higher student engagement and learning; and Ethnomathematics and STEM Institute statewide teachers presented activities to engage community members from keiki to kupuna.
- Department of Learning Design and Technology (LTEC) demonstrated virtual reality examples, including a navigation experience on the Hōkūleʻa, in collaboration with CRDG.
- Office of Student Academic Services (OSAS) provided information on all of the COE’s programs.
For the last three years, the COE has been committed to the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage and Promise to Children through the classroom, educational outreach, publications, and other college-community events. Two of the COE’s faculty members – Tara O’Neill, Director of the School of Teacher Education Secondary Program and the Curriculum Studies STEMS² master’s concentration, and Linda Furuto, Professor of Mathematics Education and Director of the Ethnomathematics and STEM Institute – were also part of the actual voyage. O’Neill served as a crew member on leg 9 of the voyage, and Furuto served as a crew member on legs from Hawai‘i to Tahiti, American Sāmoa, Sāmoa, Olohega (Swain’s Island), Aotearoa (New Zealand), South Africa, Virginia, Washington, D.C., New York City, and the Hawaiian Islands back home from Kawaihae to Kaho‛olawe to Kalaupapa to O‘ahu.
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Reflections from the Last Leg of the Voyage
“Three years, 42,000 nautical miles, and 150 ports later, I take a deep breath and slowly exhale as I reflect on the intensity and immensity of stringing the final pua of lei ka‘apuni honua “a lei around the world” on the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. I feel my heart pulsating to a steadfast rhythm as we prepare the educational wa‘a to move forward on the next voyage. I reverently promise I will be a strong link in the intergenerational chain to honor our kupuna and help raise our keiki. From leg 1 (Hawai‘i to Tahiti) to leg 32 homecoming (Kawaihae to Kaho‛olawe to Kalaupapa to O‘ahu), I have felt these strong presences with each swell, squall, sunshine, and rainbow. Mahalo nui mama Hōkūle’a for gently and powerfully shaping our paths, guiding our course lines, and reminding me over and over again that we are never alone. May we be stewards of the land, protectors of peace, and caretakers of island earth as we walk in the footsteps of our ancestors” (Linda Furuto).
More photos
UH News video of the homecoming
STEMS² photo gallery
