Celeste Ha'o Teaches Hawaiian Wayfinding to Her Children

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Celeste Ha'o, a Latter-day Saint mother of eight in Hilo, Hawaii, gathers her children around a mat depicting the hōkū pānānā, or Hawaiian star compass, to teach them about the ancient Polynesian wayfinding techniques used by their ancestors to navigate the ocean and settle the Hawaiian islands. Ha'o explains the importance of the wa'a, or Hawaiian canoe, in their oceanic culture's history, and shares how the early Polynesian voyagers used the stars, planets, and moon to find their way.

Why it matters

The story highlights how Latter-day Saint families in Hawaii are preserving and passing down their indigenous cultural traditions, particularly the ancient Polynesian wayfinding techniques that were critical to the settlement of the Hawaiian islands. It showcases how faith and cultural heritage can be interwoven, as Ha'o connects her family's Latter-day Saint beliefs with their Polynesian ancestry and identity.

The details

Celeste Ha'o, a resident of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, gathers her eight children ranging in age from 3 to 15 years old around a large circular mat depicting the hōkū pānānā, the Hawaiian star compass. She explains to them that this is the tool their Polynesian ancestors used to navigate the open ocean and find their way to the Hawaiian islands, possibly as early as 300 A.D. Ha'o then shows her children a miniature model of a wa'a, or Hawaiian canoe, emphasizing the central role these vessels played in their oceanic culture's history and traditions.

• The Ha'o family's lesson on Hawaiian wayfinding took place on a sunny day in Hilo, Hawaii.
• The earliest Polynesian voyagers are believed to have reached the Hawaiian islands as early as 300 A.D.

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