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4 Thursday, October 20, 2016 Island Beat Hawaii Tribune-Herald resurgence of all these deepsea voyaging canoes, there was all this knowledge that we reconnected with.” The purpose of the festival is to celebrate the history, the legacy and the future of the wa‘a (canoe). At this year’s event, there will be free planetarium programs every half-hour centered around how star lines are used for navigation, as well as canoe activities for the entire family. Attendees can build their own miniature-size canoe using unusual materials and try out their designs to see how they do in water. There will be a voyaging-themed scavenger hunt in the exhibit hall and two canoes outside on the lawn where curious voyagers can climb aboard. There also will be an Iron Wa‘a Chef contest where contestants have to get creative with a galley box filled with foods and tools typically available on a voyaging canoe. Interested competitors can sign up after 10 a.m. the day of the festival. “The Wayfinding Festival gives us a chance to experience firsthand how a crew lives on these canoes,” Kimura says. “They are having some amazing experiences sharing our culture and traditions around the world.” Through the years, she says, the festival has grown in attendance and support. “We’ve had up to 1,500 people at this event,” Kimura says. “We’ve had crew members fly in from all over the world to help us. And this year, the county of Hawaii is coming in and helping support the festival to grow the idea of wayfinding in the community. It’s the first time we are doing this partnership.” Mayor Billy Kenoi officially proclaimed October as Wayfinding Month, dedicated to community activities centered around the theme of the canoe. There are still several events leading up to the festival that are open to the public: The Temple of Children will help restore and paint murals on the walls of the canoe hale at Palekai in Keaukaha from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. The structure is home to East Hawaii’s voyaging canoe, Hokualaka‘i. This is an event for keiki and adults. Also as part of Wayfinding Month, an albizia tree estimated to be nearly 100 feet tall was cut and hauled to Hilo’s Bayfront where na kalai wa‘a (canoe carvers) have been Courtesy ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center busy carving a wa‘a kaukahi (single-hulled canoe). Kalani Kahalioumi, county Department of Parks and Recreation program coordinator, is organizing Wa‘a Wednesdays, where people can watch the construction of the wa‘a and talk story with some of the men and women who have been involved in the modern Hawaiian movement to perpetuate canoe carving. The gatherings are from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. “All these different woodworkers have come out for this,” he says. “We are using Children play at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center during a past Wayfinding Festival. FESTIVAL From page 2 See FESTIVAL Page 5


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