"Nā te waka ō tātou tūpuna i hari mai ki konei kia kaua tērā e ngaro i a tātou. Ki te ngaro ana tērā kaupapa i a tātou, tekateka noa iho tātou."
- Tohunga Tārai Waka Hekenukumaingaiwi Puhipi  |  | | Above: Maori experts from Waikato University, Tom Roa (left) and Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr (right), present the CD-ROM at the launch held at the Pasifika Evening. They provided the translation for the CD-ROM. | (Left to right) Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, Kim Barclay-Kerr and Tumu Te Heuheu (Chairperson of 31st session of the World Heritage Committee) |
This updated Maori version includes new videos of Maori master canoe builder Hekenukumai Busby. He shares his knowledge on a variety of subjects including ways to prepare and select the right tree to build a canoe and his personal experiences on his grand voyages across the Pacific. His contributions complement those already made by Hoturoa-Barclay Kerr, an active young contributor to the vaka field who works closely with youth. An effort has been made to include contributions from a range of age groups, young and old, in order to help bridge the gap between elders and youth (the target audience). "We must not forget that it was the canoe that brought our ancestors to this land.If we were to lose this part of our culture, we lose our heritage."
- Maori master canoe builder Hekenukumai Busby Witness master navigator Mau Piailug presiding over a pwo initiation ceremony on the island of Satawal in Micronesia; Listen to Sir Tom Davis of Cook Islands describe the challenges and achievements of open ocean wayfaring; View videos of the building of a 'vaka' or canoe on Satawal Island; Launch animations that show how the reflection and diffraction of ocean swells allow navigators to detect distant islands; Read and listen to accounts from across the Pacific about the origin of islands, the origin of sails and how a woman first received the knowledge of navigation from a bird before passing it on to men. Use interactive maps to trace the ocean pathways of the ongoing Pacific voyaging revival and much more.
Learning about the ocean environment is a life-long process rooted in a web of ecological, social and spiritual relations. The aim of this CD-ROM is not to teach all there is to know about navigation. It gives people a taste of the wealth of knowledge still surviving in the Pacific region. Additionally, in producing a Maori version of the CD-ROM, young people can learn about traditional canoe culture in their vernacular language. This supports one of LINKS' aims, which is to enhance the inter-generational transmission of knowledge. It encourages young people to go into their own communities to find out more - to renew ties with elders and, by doing so, to take part in (and pride in) a voyage of revival. The Maori version was developed with expert and financial support from Waikato University, New Zealand. To order a copy, click here [please specify that you want the Maori version] For more information on The Canoe Is the People: Indigenous Navigation in the Pacific, click here | 
