People moved across the Pacific over thousands of years, bringing with them their traditional ocean navigation skills, yet each island group refined the skills for their location. This has led to island-to-island differences in the way boats look or are constructed. Many similarities also exist because of how ocean navigation developed and was brought to new locations over time. Traditional canoe building, materials used for construction, and methods of navigating and sailing are both similar and different across the Pacific.

In this article, you will learn about traditional ocean sailing, which includes navigation. Sailing can be for traveling to valuable fishing areas, for visiting nearby family or friends, or for voyaging long distances.

Can you imagine the time before there were outboard motors, cell phones with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and map apps? Early Pacific Islanders traveled across thousands of miles of open ocean without any of these technologies. These early voyagers used the wind, ocean currents, waves, wildlife, the Sun, and stars to guide them. The wind powered their traditional sailing vessels, and their understanding of the environment and astronomy served as their global positioning system. These resources allowed early voyagers to accurately navigate their way to their destinations—even destinations that were thousands of miles away.

As you can imagine, master navigators were, and continue to be, highly respected within island communities and across the Pacific Islands. Master navigators usually begin learning to sail and navigate at an early age, often taught by older family members.

In Micronesian cultures, a master navigator is called a palu. The art of ocean navigation was kept protected by early voyagers, assuring the honored position held by palu. Unfortunately, as ocean navigation used more technology like satellite-based GPS, fewer young people were taught how to navigate in the traditional manner. This skill was almost lost to us all.

Fortunately, a palu named Mau Piailug decided it was important to share his traditional skills with others—to share the deep understanding he had of the ocean. Mau was a master navigator and traditional voyager who began learning to sail in the 1930s when he was 4 years old. When Mau was 41, he traveled from his home on Satawal, a single coral island in the Federated States of Micronesia, to Hawai‘i as part of what would be one of traditional navigation’s most important reconnections.

Once there, Mau learned that the skills of traditional navigation were almost lost in Hawai‘i. He believed he could share his knowledge and help rebuild this ability to navigate in the traditional manner. The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS), created by native Hawai’ian leaders to revive traditional navigation in Hawai‘i, reached out to Mau. These leaders asked Mau if he would contribute his knowledge and skills in traditional building, sailing, and navigating. Mau joined the Polynesian Voyaging Society in building a traditional sailing vessel, called a wa‘a elua, and in helping to navigate and sail this vessel across the Pacific.

Mau realized that teaching others the traditional voyaging skills would help the next generation to better understand oceans. This knowledge would also help young people understand why it is important to remain connected to the ocean through traditional skills of careful observation.

Mau met Nainoa Thompson, who was interested in learning traditional navigation, and Mau became Nainoa’s mentor and teacher. Mau passed away in 2010, but not before he was able to teach Nainoa and a number of other young navigators while helping them sail Hōkūle‘a across the Pacific on several voyages. Nainoa has continued to oversee the building and sailing of traditional sailing vessels in Hawai’i.

Traditional navigation also continues to be practiced in Satawal and across the Federated States of Micronesia because of Mau’s commitment to sharing, teaching, and mentoring. The commitment of Mau and Nainoa, and the contributions of many other women and men, have led to a Pacific-wide revival of traditional voyaging. With this revival, master navigators hope that the next generation and generations to come learn the skills of traditional voyaging.

These master navigators hope to not only pass on traditional practices, but they also hope others become deeply connected to the environment. Such a connection grows out of carefully observing the stars, wildlife, winds, ocean currents, clouds, and more. This type of connection to the environment can be practiced by everyone, no matter where they live! This connection also helps to support sustainability efforts and brings communities together.

As you might imagine, traditional ocean vessels vary across cultures. For example, hand-built traditional sailing canoes are important to Yapese history and culture. In traditional Yapese culture, six different canoes were each used for specialized purposes such as transporting cargo or traveling between islands. Yapese canoes looked different than the traditional vessels built by Mau and Nainoa.

Canoe building was a complicated process, requiring the cooperation of many men and women, all under the guidance of a master. Today, groups of men and women join to build traditional canoes. These people are keeping the ancient craft alive, and they are honoring those who helped to revive this skill.

Hand-carved canoes are often made from the wood of the breadfruit tree. The breadfruit tree is an important tree species across the Pacific Islands. Forests of breadfruit trees help to prevent erosion. The sap of this tree can also be used as glue and to make repairs on canoes.

Breadfruit is also an important food for Pacific Islanders. Breadfruit may be baked, boiled, grilled, and microwaved. Breadfruit can be used as an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and in soups and salads. Breadfruit trees have many uses for Pacific Islanders.