Moana, a modern-day heroine at the time of the Ancients

Moana has allowed the world to meet a brave Polynesian seafarer. A fictional character of course, but not far from reality. In the past, Polynesian women played an important part during the great voyages and today they’re still very active on board the double-hulled canoes sailing in the Pacific.

Women and traditional voyaging

While the legends of great mythical navigators like Māui, Hiro or Ta’ihia can be found in reference books, there is nothing of the kind about female navigators. Of course this doesn’t mean that women were absent from the great navigations that resulted in the settling of the Polynesian islands, nor that their part was secondary.

Indeed in the seafaring world, and undoubtedly even more during the great migrations, women were important, not only because whole clans departed to settle new territories, but also because they had their own essential parts to play on board, otherwise, how could we account for the fact that Hina-ke-ka –ke ka, tatā in Tahitian, is a bailer-, was the Hawaiian goddess of canoe bailers ? She is also known under the names Lea or Hina-ku-wa’a – wa’a is va’a in Tahitian-.

Besides there are many legends that mention women standing at the prows of the canoes ; for instance, in the legend of Rata –Laka- one of the most famous Polynesian seafarers. When his people fought against a giant clam, his mother lead the fleet to bring the remains of the victims of the sea monster back to their island.

Tradition also has it that Rū and his sister Hina-fa’auru-va’a discovered the islands. An old chant narrates that Rū was at the rear while Hina was at the front ; she first saw the islands, now known as the Leeward islands, that her brother then named Maurua –now Maupiti-, Porapora –Bora Bora-, Taha’a and Havai’i –Ra’iātea. Similarly, in the legend of Kupe the navigator who discovered Aotearoa –New Zealand- his wife Hine-i-te-aparangi, is said to be standing at the rear ; she was the one who first sighted the island.

In Tahitian, the name Hina-fa’auru-va’a means that Hina steered the va’a ; this is further proof that for the ancient Polynesians, there was no absurdity in having a woman assuming a key role on board, and also that their role was significant.

In Ra’iātea, a pass bears the name of Hina who started beating tree bark into tapa on this island. According to the legend, even if Hina liked this island she still loved sailing and one night when the moon was particularly beautiful, she decided to visit it. She settled up there, on the moon, abandoned her canoe and never came back on the earth. From then on, Hina-i-fa’auru-va’a became Hina-i-a’a-i-te marama meaning Hina who settled upon the moon…

Encounter women ’ihitai

Hau’oli Smith-Gurtler is one of them ; as a true woman of the sea, Hau’oli is an experienced rower who first boarded Hōkūle’a in 1992 for the « No Na Mamo Voyage ». Says Hau’oli « trying to get on a voyage was tough », and before Hōkūle’a got through modifications, « you had to have strength and muscle… Steering with the hoe in rough weather was difficult, and hoisting and lowering mast, spars and sails was physically demanding ; you had to have stamina to keep up with the Uncles ! »

Like Teiratohu from Aotearoa, some got involved in the canoe world inspired by their elders or because they were curious ; others came to traditional sailing by accident like Georgia or 68-year-old Elizabeth who still sails and has no intention to stop soon ! As for others like Māori Rereahuhete, traditional sailing is a way « to be part of the large Polynesian family, reconnect with our ancestors, and with the spiritual side of waka ».

One common point to those women ’ihitai is they are all aware that their mission goes beyond the va’a itself, and this is even more true since Te mana o te moana fleet was set up. Those women are engaged in their own communities where they transmit traditional skills like wayfinding but also promote the preservation of their culture, their environment and the values that are central to social well-being. For Samoan Ivanancy Vunikura, Māori Gina Mohi, Fijian Agnès Sosoko, or their seasters, their approach would be meaningless if not in close connection with their island communities.

In Tahiti too there tend to be more and more women on Fa’afaite, the only « traditional » double-hulled canoe of French Polynesia. As an example, from March 15th to April 5th Fa’afaite toured the Austral islands in order to promote the protection of the ocean and the sustainability of resources. Six ’ihitai did the whole voyage that lasted 3 weeks ; half of them were women, and for the return leg, 8 out of the 15 crew were women. In fact, three women -–Moeata Galenon, Fatiarau Salmon and India Tabellini- have started training to qualify as maritime captains and hope to motivate new recruits. Undoubtedly, more and more Tahitian women get interested in sailing canoes, train as best they can and inspire others ; so, join in !

As this article gets to its end, Hōkūle’a is about to close her 3 year-long journey around the world. When she returns to Hawai’i, two sister canoes will accompany her : Hikianalia, her Hawaiian sister and Fa’afaite. Hikianalia arrived from the Marquesas to Papeete on April 12th ; her captain was Kala, daughter of navigator Kālepa Baybayan. She’ll probably be captain again for the return to Hawai’i. As for Hōkūle’a, no doubt, two women will hold the most important posts : Pomaikalani Bertelmann will be her captain and the navigator will be Ka’iulani Murphy.

Keani, Penny, Pomaikalani, Hau’oli, Ka’iulani, Kala, and the others, thank you for what you did and what you’re still doing in order for women to have their place on board, side by side with men, like the outriggers of traditional canoes !