The Lahaina wildfires' devastation took a hefty cultural toll with the loss of the Mo‘olele, a 50-year-old voyaging canoe, but the tides are turning. In an effort stitching together community connections as strong as the threads of a traditional sail, a blend of generosity is helping birth its successor, the Nāleilehua. Timothy 'Timi' Gilliom, known for his seasoned hand in canoe craftsmanship, and his team are all hands on deck to complete the new vessel this year, thanks to the overwhelming support of land and sea shippers and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). According to a DLNR press release, this project is a rallying point for Hawaiian tradition and communal unity.
As Lahaina burned on August 8, 2023, Gilliom was struck by the profound loss of the Mo‘olele, a canoe he would "never see again." Now, shifting to Kahului with his non-profit Hui O Wa‘a Kaulua, the focus is on creating the 44-foot Nāleilehua, an echo of its predecessor but with a grace of its own. In an endeavor that's not just about replacing what was lost but evolving it, the new canoe will feature "same crab claw sail, same parts, and everything," Gillion told DLNR. And while koa wood – the traditional material for such canoes – is notoriously hard to acquire, the team found an ally in David Tsuchiya, the DLNR Division of State Parks Kaua‘i Branch District Superintendent, who facilitated the donation of 22,000 pounds of the stuff.
Demonstrating an interstate collaboration that would make any logistics coordinator swoon, trucker Timmy Lopez ferried the heavyweight koa to the harbour, where Pasha-Hawai‘i shouldered the load to Maui at a discounted rate. The wood, some salvaged from tree falls, is of the heavier older koa, marking the vessel with an inherent resilience. Gilliom expressed deep gratitude for this substantial boon, noting, "It was overwhelming," as per the press release.
The canoe's embarkment on the modern yet historically reverent Nāleilehua is spearheaded with passion by craftspeople like Makaio Lorenzo. Melding traditional with contemporary, he works on "more modernized stuff, like hatch covers for our storage," he told DLNR. His tether to the project goes beyond the physical crafting; it's a continuation of a cultural lineage, with Lorenzo fully immersed in the tradition, striving to one day captain the esteemed canoe himself.
In a time when concrete and screens seem to dominate, the forging of Nāleilehua stands as a testament to the perseverance of cultural heritage and the Hawaiian community's ability to rise, rather phoenix-like, from the ashes of tragedy. With a collective spirit reminiscent of ancient navigation—steadfast and looking to the stars for guidance—this canoe is slated to make her maiden voyage with the hopes and history of her people nestled within her freshly cut holds.
