More than 2,000 people gathered along Seattle’s waterfront over the weekend to welcome Hōkūleʻa and her crew.
The canoe sailed into Elliott Bay and was escorted by several traditional Suquamish and Muckleshoot canoes, as well as dozens of Hawaiian outrigger paddling canoes.
Hōkūleʻa is moored up and under 24-hour surveillance at Bell Harbor, a sheltered little cove on Seattle’s waterfront.
Crewmember Hulukoa Nunokawa said the sheer amount of people who have come out to tour the canoe has been overwhelming.
"We’ve had over 1,000 people visit us over the last three days on Hōkū for waʻa tours and everything else. So that’s why my voice normally doesn’t sound like this is a little hoarse because I’ve been talking so much the last couple of days," Nunokawa said.
Hōkūleʻa crew members may be far away from the islands, but they voyage with Maui in their hearts, said Nunokawa. He grew up most of his life in Waikapū, Maui.
"Maui is some place that is near and dear to my heart. I know just like many of our other crew members, as soon as weʻre home, weʻre not really missing a beat. And Maui just know weʻre on our way. Weʻre going to pull Lāhainā back up together," he said.
Hōkūleʻa is departing for Tacoma on Wednesday, where crew members are expecting rainy conditions and huge crowds.
Washington state is home to one of the largest Hawaiian diaspora communities outside Hawaiʻi.
"We have a lot of people waiting. Just like up in Seattle, there’s a lot of the local community but there’s also the native tribes, and just the greater community of Tacoma or King County that’s looking forward to greeting us," Nunokawa said.
