Mālama Makaliʻi Ocean Festival: Celebrating 30 Years of Makaliʻi

On February 8, 2025, the Mālama Makaliʻi Ocean Festival was held at Kawaihae Canoe Club, marking a momentous milestone—30 years of Makaliʻi, our cherished voyaging canoe and a living symbol of ʻike kūpuna, aloha ʻāina, and collective resilience.

The festival brought together voyaging ʻohana from across the pae ʻāina—Friends of Hōkūleʻa and Hawaiʻiloa, Nā Kālai Waʻa o Kauaʻi, and the Molokaʻi Voyaging ʻOhana—to celebrate three decades of deep-sea learning, ancestral guidance, and mālama honua. At the ʻOhana Waʻa booth, guests of all ages were invited to engage in moʻolelo, play interactive games, and reconnect with the ancestral knowledge that continues to guide our sails.

But this festival was more than a celebration of Makaliʻi’s legacy—it was a vibrant call to action for present and future generations. It served as a platform to uplift our kauhale of voyagers, strengthen community pilina, and inspire environmental stewardship rooted in the Hawaiian values that have sustained us for generations.

At the heart of it all was our guiding philosophy, lovingly carried forward by the Makaliʻi ʻohana:

"He waʻa he moku, he moku he waʻa."

Our canoe is our island, our island is our canoe.

This wisdom reminds us that the way we care for our waʻa should reflect the way we care for our ʻāina—with interdependence, intention, and aloha. Hauʻoli makahiki piha e Makaliʻi!