Canoe Cultures of the Pacific

Yesterday Manny took me out on the canoe MAISA. Originally I thought we were going on the canoe Quest, but Manny didn’t have enough time. It was still loads of fun to go on the MAISA though. It was really windy and because of how small the canoe is, we couldn’t leave the channel. I hope to go on the Quest once before I leave. I told you I would tell you about traditional seafaring the Pacific, so here I go. I may give you some information that isn’t 100% correct, but I’ll do my best! Most of the information I will provide is from a class I took with Vince Diaz: Canoe Cultures of the Pacific. If anyone is interested and has some open credits, it is listed under AMCULT 496. I strongly recommend it although I am not sure when it will be offered again.

The practice of inter-island navigation in the Pacific can be traced to 3000 B.C. to the Austronesians – a group of people linked by a common language. The Austronesians left South Eastern Asia and expanded their population throughout the Pacific (to Easter Island in the East and Madagascar in the West). They depended on navigation to survive; the small islands of the Pacific left little room for population growth and resources were limited, thus expansion was necessary. Austronesians have been traced through language and through pottery with a common pattern known as Lapita.

Seafaring is a visceral, highly embodied pre-occupation and this is illustrated through Merak Heki. Merak Heki is the system of teaching the art, science, and culture of becoming a Palu – a navigator. Merak Heki means “unfolding the mat and opening the heart.” The “mat” is knowledge about stars, clouds, winds, ocean, waves and swells, islands, reefs, creatures, concepts and practices for calculating distance traveled, position at sea, directions, speed, proximity of islands, building canoes and canoe houses, healing, martial arts, and magic – each subject being a different “mat”.

Austronesians and future Pacific Islanders navigated without the luxury of maps, GPS, sextons or even compasses, so they had to find other ways to guide their boats towards a desired destination. This feat was accomplished through the use of rising (tan) and setting (tolon) stars. To put it simply you steer toward whichever star rises or sets in the direction of the island you wish to visit. But paafu really is not that simple, for the star or star course an island lies under is different for every island in the Pacific. For example, the star course to Saipan from Puluwat will be different than the star course to Saipan from Pohnpei.


To compensate for this children are taught star paths and star compasses at a very young age. In a star course, a single star is named to identify an entire star path. It is not necessary to know the name of each trailing star, but rather only a few significant ones. In fact, on most islands, all of the stars in a star path have the same name. Children of a specific island learn the star path for every island. One way this is done is through the Carolinian Sidereal Compass – a system of orientation by the horizon points where chosen stars rise and set. It is called a “Sidereal Compass” because the position of the stars is similar to the points of a compass. Usually thirty-two stars (points) are named – each point representing a specific island. The bearing of the stars are symmetrical at rise and set (except for the pole star which remains stationary). Of course, a certain star needed to navigate may not have risen yet or may have already set; this is when you use the other stars in the star path.


The first step in training the young navigators is to lay down stones to represent the stars of the compass. The children then memorize each stone and what island they represent. It is not a chart, but rather a way to memorize each star. By memorizing the thirty-two stars/islands, it is possible to determine the direction of an infinite number of islands that lie past, before or in between islands. Once the children have demonstrated that they have memorized each star compass, they are a step closer to become Palu.


The stars are much more than a navigational tool; they are a way to identify the culture of Pacific Islanders. The fact that Islanders are able to navigate from island to island without the luxury of the aforementioned modern tools shows the intuition, adaptability, and intelligence of Pacific Islanders. The original navigators had no maps or compasses and relied on intuition to expand their people throughout the Pacific. They had the intelligence to memorize these paths and pass them down through oral traditions. They were able to adapt each star path specifically to each island they inhabited. They respected the stars; the stars were their culture. These practices are still exhibited today and stars are still a large part of Pacific Islander culture.

Navigating by the stars is a way to navigate during the night, but seafarers also have techniques during the day. Birds are often used as navigational guides and are described as “the navigator’s best friend”. This is because birds predict landfall – they are usually found within 50 miles of shore (but only land-based birds). It is also important to understand that these birds only predict that land is near not the direction of land during the day. However, birds, during the early morning and toward evening, can be used to direct navigators toward land because they are flying to their fishing grounds (morning) and back to land (evening).


The use of birds, as well as the use of stars, also shows how nature is a large part of Pacific Islander culture. Land, water, stars, birds, fish, vegetation and everything nature offers is utilized, adored, and essential to the survival and growth of Pacific Islander, and no part is less significant than another. Pacific Islanders identify with every part of nature whether it is for survival, growth, or navigation.

Merak Heki is not only a science or a way to teach navigation. Merak Heki is also a way to define a culture. It “unfolds the mat” and teaches navigators the techniques of reading stars, the sea, birds, and spirits. It also “unfolds the heart” and instills culture and heritage to Pacific Island navigators. This culture is in the process of renewal. Elder Pacific Islanders are unfolding the mats to teach younger generations the practice of seafaring with hopes of keeping the heart beating (i.e. Manny Sikau, Larry Cunningham, and the TSS).

If you are interested in more information, check out the book We the Navigators by David Lewis. Feel free to ask me any questions. If the prior explanation is too academic (I copy and pasted from an old paper), just send me an email and I can explain more. I hope this was informative and interesting.

Last night Mooka, my grandma and I went to Tumon to a barbeque with some other Pohnpeians. It felt good to finally get back in the water. The sunset was absolutely gorgeous and I got some great shots. We leave for Pohnpei Monday morning. Kalangan for reading. Kasalehl Justin.