Eō Makali‘i!

He Kuleana Nō

Celebrating 27 years of Makali‘i 💛

I can still remember the night we made our way to Mahukona to chant Makali‘i and her crew off on her maiden voyage to Tahiti in 1995. I sat in the back of Aunty Renee’s van and drew the picture of the wa`a and the crew members (see the last slide). When I showed it to my Mom she helped me to ask each of them to sign it. Soon after, we embraced them all and I watched as my mother and her halau chanted them onto the pathway of Kahiki.

Recalling this moment brings back a lifetime of memories in the Makali’i 'Ohana and the many protocol ceremonies that this wa’a carries. A few years back, I stood next to my mother awaiting the arrival of Makali’i and tears filled my eyes because the meaning of my commitment to this legacy of chant protocol deepened in that very moment. I watched how she kept her eyes on the water to see the hauls make their way around the corner. I watched as she chose the right moment to speak the first lines of the first chant into the wind. I listened when she told me to watch for when the anchor dropped because that meant, “Auē Ua Hiti Ē,” would be coming next. I listened to the way her powerful voice filled the space and greeted the crew like she had done so many times before. I watched for the moment she would lead us to the dock where we would exchange words of welcome. It all felt like something from the old times coming back around again and I couldn’t help but get emotional at the thought of passing these ways down one day.

The sound of the pū resonated across the moana and the sight of so many people paddling out to greet them made me feel so proud to have been born into this community and this ‘Ohana wa‘a. As our voices reached out to welcome them home, I thought of Papa Mau, Uncle Shorty, Uncle Clay and every voyager that comes from them and how the journey truly is “he kuleana nō,” in the most beautiful of ways.

Eō Makali‘i!

📸: @kapzphotography