May 22, 2013
Rapa Nui relationship being fostered
Those involved in the Waka Tapu voyage to Rapa Nui-Easter Island are looking for ways to further advance the relationship with Polynesia’s easternmost island.
The two double-hulled waka Te Aurere and Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti returned to Aurere inlet in Doubtless Bay on Saturday after their 10-month, 10,000 mile journey.
Karl Johnstone from the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute says in closing the Polynesian triangle, the voyage revealed a strong sense of whānaungatanga.
“There’s a very intimate, intuitive and close connection to the people of Rapa Nui. The voyage and the logistics were hugely complex. They pale in comparison to the significance of the reconnection with those people. They’re passionate about maintaining their connection to us and I think we all should feel a level of responsibility now to ensure continue to build and to deliver on the undertakings we made with them,” he says.
Karl Johnstone says the Waka Tapu return crew included two sailors from Rapa Nui, one of whom is staying on as one of the first students at the new waka wānanga on land gifted by waka builder Hekenukumai Busby.
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