Reclaiming and Restoring Ea through Voyaging: A Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea Panel and Art Exhibition | Kanehunamoku Voyaging Academy

Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy will host a free public event featuring a Voyaging Panel and art exhibition at Ke‘alohi Point in honor of Lā Ho‘iho‘i Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day). This significant day commemorates the 1843 restoration of Hawaiian sovereignty and the enduring spirit of ea (sovereignty and life).

This event will share Hawaiian sovereignty through voyaging with canoe crew members, community members, and visitors, inviting all to celebrate our voyaging traditions and the ancestral legacy of Ke‘alohi Point—a culturally significant place of observation, navigation, and learning within the ahupua‘a of He‘eia.

The panel will feature original Hōkūle‘a ’76 crew members alongside contemporary voyagers, offering a rich conversation that bridges the past and present. Discussions will highlight how the revival of traditional voyaging contributed to cultural resurgence and sovereignty recognition in the 1970s, and how that legacy continues to inform and inspire our communities today amid contemporary challenges.

In conjunction with the panel, the event will include an art and artifacts gallery showcasing local artists and collections from Polynesian Voyaging Society founder Tommy Holmes and Hōkūlea’s Chief Bosun Kimo Hugho. Attendees can expect an immersive visual and historical experience that reinforces the deep connections between voyaging, identity, and sovereignty.