TAPUTAPUATEA – Nearing the finish of the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage, the legendary Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia canoes were welcomed to Taputapuatea by local dignitaries, spiritual elders and community members.

After sailing about 100 miles from Papeete, Tahiti, the canoes arrived at Taputapuatea on April 25, following the historic protocol of entering via the sacred pass of Teava Moa. The stop was in honor of the ancient tradition of Hawaii’s Polynesian ancestors who would go to Taputapuatea, the spiritual center for voyagers of the Pacific, to ceremonially launch and close their voyages of discovery.

Crewleaders returned sacred stones to marae – or the focal meeting ground located on the southeastern coast of Raiatea in French Polynesia – fulfilling their responsibility to sail around the world.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society detailed the moment in video, photos, and the following written release: