Hokule`a book opening at 3 p.m. on March 15

Aloha Fellow poets, artists, musicians and normal people:
If you haven't heard, you have now. You're invited to a book signing/reading of Gary Kubota lyrical prose (I'd say poetry, but that scares some people) book about the voyage of the Hokulea. There will be photographs of the voyage on sale and fellow Hokule`a crew members, as well as a performance in Hawaiian and English.- Below is a press release with details. Attached is a flyer that you can print out and post! - Mahalo for your support, Gary


News Release—March 5, 2008

BOOK TITLE: "To Honor Mau: The Voyage of the Hokule`a Through Micronesia"

A book signing /reading for “To Honor Mau: The Voyage Of The Hokule`a Through Micronesia” is planned from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 15 (Saturday) at the Gallerie Ha at 51 North Market Street in Wailuku. There will be a reading/performance of a portion of the book. Some of the proceeds from the book will benefit the Hokule`a, along with the sale of photographs of the voyage.
The book, “To Honor Mau: The Voyage Of The Hokule`a Through Micronesia,”(in English and Hawaiian, with more than 50 photographs, published by Pacific Renaissance Press) is a historical account of the journey of the double-hulled sailing canoe Hokule`a to honor its first wayfinding navigator Mau Piailug. The Hokule`a crew helped to deliver the double-hulled sailing canoe Alingano Maisu as a gift to Mau on his home atoll of Satawal in 2007 – a journey of some 4,000 miles through an area known for its typhoons.
In 1976, using native wayfinding methods, Mau served as the navigator on the Hokule`a voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti. The voyage of the Hokule`a, built along the lines of a traditional Polynesian sailing canoes constructed mainly of wood and rope, helped to support the assertion that native Hawaiians were capable of navigating thousands of miles of ocean before European explorers. The historic Hawaii-Tahiti voyage in 1976 has sparked a renaissance of native voyaging, with several double-hulled vessels already built and being built in Hawaii.
The book describes the hardships and dangers in the voyage, the difficulties faced by islanders such as global warming, and the Pwo ceremony on Satawal conducted by Mau inducting native Hawaiians as wayfinding navigators.
The story is written in lyrical prose by Gary T. Kubota and was interpreted into Hawaiian by Kaimana Barcarse. Kubota, a newspaper correspondent, was a crew member on the Hokule`a through a major part of the journey. Barcarse, a Hawaiian Studies instructor at University of Hawaii-Hilo, has been a crew member on the Hokule`a. James Hadde, whose photographs are on the cover and inside pages of the book, was a crew member aboard the escort vessel Kama Hele.
“The book celebrates the culture of Hawaii and Micronesia and the way they have grown to have a mutual respect for one another,” Kubota said.
“I didn’t know at the start of the journey that Mau had suffered years of criticism from some Micronesians for sharing wayfinding secrets with native Hawaiians 30 years ago. The journey last year helped to vindicate Mau. It took five years and thousands of hours to build the Alingano Maisu, and Micronesians including Mau’s son sailed aboard her on the way to Satawal. That says a lot about the Hawaiians’ respect and love for Mau. It also says a lot about the sea-going toughness and character of native Hawaiians.”
There are a limited number of copies of the book ($18). Advance orders may be made through emailing PacificRenaissancePress@hotmail.com; calling 875-0315 and leaving a message.