For the first time 25 traditional Polynesian voyaging leaders have gathered to discuss how they can work towards creating a better environmental balance.
The Ho'okele Honua Summit was held at Honolulu's Bishop Museum over the weekend.
The Polynesian Voyaging Society's Nainoa Thompson warned the meeting that if they did not act or change, the world on its current pathway would take them to the island of extinction.
The summit began with a sacred awa ceremony to welcome the voyaging community and continued with deep conversations around the environment and care of the land and sea.
A navigator from the Cook Islands, Tua Pittman, said the meeting was the beginning of a new era.
"In all of our cultures, the canoe is a movement of people. It moves people from place to place.
"That canoe will always be there. We are jumping on a different canoe now. The canoe is a movement and this is what's being formed right now. We are now building the hull of the new canoe, the spiritual canoe," Tua Pittman said.
Te Marumaru Atua just outside Avana Channel in Rarotonga, sailing to Aotearoa, navigating by the stars. Photo: Cook Islands Voyaging Society
One of the navigators, Sesario Sewalur, stressed how important it was for the people of the Pacific to take the lead in protecting the ocean.
"This is the only resource that we have in the Pacific. We need to show the world. We need to take care of things first," he said.
"Even your house, you need to clean your house. Who is going to clean your house? It's us that we need to take care of this, show the world how much we love our ocean."
The society said with strategic partnerships and community support, the leaders hoped to break through social norms and inspire others to take greater responsibility for the environment.
Traditional navigator, Sesario Sewalur Photo: Hokulea
