Navigators

The year is 700 AD. Ancient Polynesians have settled on Tahiti and something has driven them to explore the sea to the north. Carrying no more than twenty men and over five tons of cargo on a single hull outrigger canoe these Polynesian pioneers sail over a thousand miles to Hawai'i.

Ancient Navigators (having a primarily oral tradition) would learn to Navigate from their fathers. Sons would spend late afternoons and evenings with their fathers and grandfathers learning to read the ocean and the sky. Understandably though, no matter how much instruction they received the young navigators would undoubtedly see the ocean while standing in their canoes as the other men would look up to them fully trusting that they would survive and feel fear. Fear of failing perhaps. Fear that at that crucial moment, all that was learned would be forgotten.

It is now 2009 AD and the Navigators at the University of Hawaii definitely do not sail long distance. The closest to sailing any of us have come is probably kayaking along the coast in Kalihi. We do, however, share one thing with the Navigators of old. What would be forgotten would not be the lessons learned. It would be the fear. The way the Navigators understood courage was to have faith in the words of their father. With this courage they knew that they could sail anywhere and they would be safe. Similarly, The UH Navs find strength by having faith in the Word of their Father.