Page 13 - Islands Business June 2023

Transport Transport

travels of our ancestors in small canoes like ‘camakau’ or the further north.
great drua, it feels surreal to be sitting on a vessel of their “When the Uto ni Yalo came there, [to the first tribe of
lineage now, and coming to terms with just how incredibly America up north], they showed us bird feathers from Kadavu
intelligent and skilful our Pacific ancestors were. and pottery from Burebasaga; evidence of [links] right up
Now, in the face of climate change, the Uto ni Yalo Trust north near Alaska,” Ledua said.
is looking into promoting sustainable sea transport and has As we sat around a tanoa of kava, taking a break in the same
taught young people in Beqa how to sail and maintain small way our ancestors may have during their stopovers, I learned a
camakau boats. few things.
The Uto ni Yalo has also undertaken incredible voyages; • If you are lost at sea, wait until the morning or afternoon;
over 90,000 nautical miles in total, which is the equivalent to the sun will rise from the east and set in the west, and
circumnavigating the earth twice. you will be able to know which direction to take to get to
Ledua recalls that: “We were able to see first-hand that your destination.
our ancestors reached the coasts of other countries; when • The stars change every six months, so you can’t rely on
we went to New Zealand, there was evidence of our people one particular star for navigation.
reaching Waikato. Waikato is still known today as a chiefly New • Going past the chiefly island of Bau, you need to take off
Zealand region, and it is well known to be connected to Bau your hat and sunglasses as a sign of respect.
and other places in Fiji. • Anything can happen while you are out at sea; the current
“And when we reached Tahiti, we saw the ruins of temples, is strong and the weather might be choppy, but if you love
hundreds of thousands of years old, with stories of how our the ocean, every day is a vacation.
warriors went there for initiation before going to war, and Follow the Uto ni Yalo Trust on Facebook to explore tradi-
when we reached Hawaii, there was evidence of their canoes tional sailing and navigation, and learn about their outreach
reaching Hawaii,” he said. programs.
There was evidence early seafarers had ventured even

Islands Business, June 2023 13