STAR NAVIGATOR MURAL for HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
Lead Artist: MamaWisdom1
Assistant Artist: Natty Rebel (Bay Area Mural Project)
Curation: African American Culture Complex (AAACC) | October 2020, San Francisco, CA
Materials: Montana Spray Paint; Acrylic Paint
This mural was painted on a shipping container for Hawaiian Airline's first drive-thru covid testing lab. I was asked to paint something beautiful of cultural relevance that could tell a story to inspire travelers to want to learn more about traditional Hawaiian culture, as well as lift their spirits while getting tested prior to flying. In the Spirit of the "voyage" and traveling, I chose to bring the story of ancient Polynesian voyaging to the forefront, inspired by female Navigator and Voyaging Educator, Kala Tanaka of Lāhainā, Maui.
For many generations western scholars argued the "accidental drift" theory, questioning whether or not Polynesian navigators and their vessels were capable of truly mastering the vast Pacific. In 1976, without the use of modern instruments, Hawaii's "Hōkūle‘a" double-hulled voyaging canoe embarked on it's first roundtrip voyage to Tahiti successfully, proving that the mastery of traditional Polynesian voyaging was not just the Truth of Pacific Island history, but that it was alive and well. Through a system using star navigation in relationship with the winds, currents, birds, dolphins, and other sea life guiding the way, this ancient science, on the brink of extinction during that time, was passed on to crew members of the Hōkūle‘a by one of the Pacific's last traditional voyaging lineage holders: Mau Pialiug, a Micronesian navigator from the Carolinian island of Satawal. This journey, and subsequent journeys, would change the history --and future-- of Polynesian Wayfinding forever, creating a cultural revolution. Today, this renaissance is furthered by educational programs throughout the islands that are shaping many new generations of Polynesian Star Navigators, young and Elder alike.
Image Description:
At the center of the mural is a female Navigator using her hand to measure distances and angles of stars and the horizon at sunrise. The circle around her represents the Hawaiian Star Compass by Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson. The tern birds are flying from land out to sea at sunrise. Seabirds are a key element within locating land in Wayfinding, for they fly out to sea to feed at in the morning, and fly into land to rest in the evening. To the right of the mural is a Kalo (Taro) leaf pattern to honor the People, with a series of Kalo leaves coming out of the water, shaped like the Hawaiian islands. Haloa ke Kalo is an important part of the Hawaiian Creation Story, as he is the elder brother of Haloa ke Kane, the first man. And in this symbiotic relationship between Kalo and Kane, the elder brother is the highly respected staple food source of the Hawaiian People. Above the Kalo is Mauka, the Mountain, adorned with triangular kakau (tattoo) patterns. On the left side of the mural is a waʻa kaulua, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe.
(Left) The Modern Hawaiian Star Compass by Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson of the Hōkūle‘a and Polynesian Voyaging Society; (Right) Photo by Betsy True of Kala Tanaka’s tattoos, representing elements of early Polynesian navigation.
THE PROGRESSION
(from the Hawaiian Airlines Instagram page...)
Our first drive-through testing site with Worksite Labs is now up and running near San Francisco International Airport (SFO)! 🤗 Hawaiian Airlines guests traveling between Hawai‘i and the Bay Area now have exclusive access to this convenient and reliable pre-travel COVID-19 testing service that include a shallow nasal swab test from the comfort of their vehicle. Stay tuned for additional Hawaiian Airlines drive-through testing locations planned near Los Angeles International Airport and our other U.S. gateway cities.⠀
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Upon arrival to the site, guests will be greeted by a "Star Navigator" mural by O‘ahu-born artist @nikila_mamawisdom1 and curated by the African American Art & Culture Complex. This mural adorns our mobile lab and was inspired by modern-day female navigator Kala Tanaka, a wayfinding educator at Maui’s Voyaging Society. To read more about the meaning of this mural and to schedule an appointment with our new test site, click the link in our bio. ⠀
⠀
Upon arrival to the site, guests will be greeted by a "Star Navigator" mural by O‘ahu-born artist @nikila_mamawisdom1 and curated by the African American Art & Culture Complex. This mural adorns our mobile lab and was inspired by modern-day female navigator Kala Tanaka, a wayfinding educator at Maui’s Voyaging Society. To read more about the meaning of this mural and to schedule an appointment with our new test site, click the link in our bio. ⠀
Original Digital Sketch
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Hōkūle‘a Homecoming: The Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage
June 2017, our crew paddling out to welcome the Hōkūle‘a back home from its first Worldwide Voyage, which began in Hawai'i in May 2014. Guided by non-instrumental wayfinding techniques using only stars, birds, wind, and seas, master navigators and crew members guided the vessel 60,000 miles, to 23 different countries around the world, with a mission to raise awareness about worldwide sustainability.
