Meet & Greet this Friday with Hokule’a’s Polynesian Voyaging Crew – Jan. 29, 2016 at the Mariners’ Museum
On Friday, January 29, The Mariners’ Museum and Park welcomes the crew from Hokule’a, a traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe that is currently sailing around the world.
The informal meet and greet will be followed by a talk in The Mariners’ Museum’s Main Lobby from 5 – 7 p.m. on January 29. The purpose of the meeting is for the crew to connect with Mariners’ Museum staff along with local educators and Museum members. The meet
and greet will also teach participants about the purpose of the voyage and share stories about their adventure at sea. Weather permitting, there will be a stargazing and navigation activity after the meet and greet and talk.
The Education Department of The Mariners’ Museum and the Polynesian Voyaging Society are offering multiple programs throughout the spring. On Saturday, January 30, the Museum is hosting a Hokule’a Cultural and Environmental Teacher Professional Development Day that is SOL-based and will provide educators with content and instructional strategies. During a special lecture on Thursday, April 28, members of the canoe’s crew will share some of the traditional navigational techniques that Hokule’a uses as it sails, without modern instruments, across all the world’s oceans. On Friday, April 29, the Museum will offer a Hokule’a Homeschool Day where participants will learn about Polynesian navigation using only the stars and nature, plus much more.
Hokule’a herself will sail into Hampton Roads on Friday, April 22. A flotilla will welcome Hokule’a and the fleet will escort the canoe to the James River Fishing Pier in Newport News. Special programming and events are planned around Hokule’a’s visit including an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 23 at James River Fishing Pier where the community can tour the canoe and enjoy additional activities. Hokule’a will then sail to Yorktown on Sunday, April 24, where a traditional welcoming ceremony will take place. Hokule’a will depart Hampton Roads on Saturday, May 7.
Hokule’a was built by the Polynesian Voyaging Society in the 1970s, more than 600 years after any other voyaging canoe existed. The
Hawaiian people were inspired to build and sail Hokule’a from Honolulu to Tahiti, proving that the incredible voyage that brought their
ancestors to the islands was still possible. By traversing the globe today, they are able to better understand how the Polynesians
originally navigated the ocean, discovered islands and settled them.
The Mariners’ Museum and Park connects people to the world’s waterways through exploration and engaging experiences. The organization is an educational, non-profit institution accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and preserves and interprets maritime history through an international collection of ship models, figureheads, paintings and other maritime artifacts. The Mariners’ Museum has been designated by Congress as “America’s National Maritime Museum.” For hours and information, visit MarinersMuseum.org, call (757) 596-2222 or write to The Mariners’ Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA
23606.
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