This came after an agreement reached in Auckland last month to form Pacific Voyagers, a pan-Pacific network of voyaging societies.
The Pacific Voyagers’ network includes voyaging groups in American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Tahiti, Tonga and Samoa.
The participating groups intend to celebrate the formation of Pacific Voyagers by assembling a fleet of seven ocean-going canoes at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands in April 2010.
The seven participating island groups in Pacific Voyagers have agreed to the construction of the canoe hulls and operating infrastructure to a common design based on traditional concepts.
New Zealand actor, whale protection advocate and star of the internationally acclaimed film “Whale Rider,” Rawiri Paratene, negotiated its formation.
The Pacific Voyagers’ network project has won funding and support from the Okeanos foundation, an international philanthropic organization based in Germany, formed with the objective of protecting the ocean environment and marine life.
The foundation said it recognizes that Polynesian ocean voyaging traditions are strongly founded on high standards of ecological sensitivity. It was delighted to be able to support a project that would preserve the traditions and build awareness of practices that will enhance the oceanic environment.
Letila Mitchell, Manoa Rasigatale and Colin Philp of the recently formed Fiji Islands Voyaging Society lead the awakening to rekindle Fiji and Rotuma’s proud maritime heritage.
The Fiji Island Voyaging Society, which operates out of the Fiji Arts Council in Suva, now have the huge task of assembling and training a crew of over 40 local sailors that will sail a 22-meter Drua double hull canoe to Hawaii and back in early 2010.
