The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) launched the Alaska Heritage Sail portion of the Moananuiākea Voyage in Southeast Alaska that will circumnavigate that entire Pacific Ocean. Taking four years to complete, the voyage will travel to 36 countries and archipelagoes, almost 100 indigenous territories and more than 300 ports. The goal of the voyage is to ignite a movement of 10 million “planetary navigators” by developing young leaders and engaging communities around the world to take part in navigating the earth towards a healthy, thriving future.
AFN Welcomes PVS to Alaska
The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) expresses our appreciation and honor to the Polynesian Voyaging Society for embarking on this monumental voyage beginning in Alaska. The AFN board passed a resolution welcoming PVS to Alaska in December 2022. Click here to read.
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian peoples have many shared values, principles, and worldviews that are embedded within our respective cultures, languages, and traditions, which we promote and perpetuate for succeeding generations. It is a goal of AFN to promote and advocate for programs and systems which instill pride and confidence in individual Alaska Natives, and as such, is committed to advancing Indigenous rights, practices, education, health, and well-being through the Moananuiākea voyage.
AFN expresses our appreciation and honor to the Polynesian Voyaging Society for embarking on this monumental voyage from Alaska. As such, AFN welcomes the Polynesian Voyaging Society to Alaska and will commit to being a trusted partner with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and encourage other Native Alaskan partners to join in collaborative planning and doing our part to ensure that the crew returns home safely.
AFN encourages our membership to do the same and to share with the world through this global platform our interconnectedness and aspirations for thriving generations of indigenous communities. This toolkit will help your tribe, organization, and family be involved with this historic voyage.
What is the meaning of Moananuiākea
Moananuiākea is the oceanic home for all peoples who are indigenous to islands and continents touched by Pacific waters. Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian peoples have many shared values, principles, and worldviews that are embedded within our respective cultures, languages, and traditions that we promote and perpetuate for succeeding generations. Alaska Natives have maintained a powerful relationship with Native Hawaiians for many decades, as evidenced by gifting two Sitka Spruce logs from Haida territory in 1990 that were used to build the Hawai’iloa and a Declaration of Kinship signed in 2019, along with strong personal kinship created between our leaders, such as Judson Brown, Ernie Hillman, Byron Mallott, Pinky Thompson, Nainoa Thompson, and also includes a growing list of leaders following in these individuals’ paths.
The Moananuiākea Voyage’s primary purpose and vision is to inspire future generations of leaders to make better decisions based on Indigenous values and stewardship across the globe, all while strengthening Pacific Indigenous connectedness.
What is the “Third Canoe” and how can Alaska be involved?
The voyage itself is a global educational campaign that will amplify the vital importance of oceans and Indigenous knowledge through education and storytelling shared via a virtual “Third Canoe” called Waʻa Honua, meaning a canoe for the earth.
Follow along on its journey throughout the Pacific Ocean at the Wa’a Honua website (www.waahonua.com) as well as their YouTube channel for blogs, Q & A videos with crew members, and more. (https://www.youtube.com/@Hokulea)
You can show your support for over 400 crew members making this voyage possible on various social platforms. We encourage our members and communities to share with the world what your home waters are and what it means to you. What is your connection to your home waters, what is your earliest memory, and how does it provide to you and your family and community? Videos of your communities and your family’s connection to water are highly encouraged.
