The Conscientious Observer Here is an article by Tiffany Hill in the September edition of Ka Wai Ola (The Office of Hawaiian Affairs) about Hokule’a and her documenter Sam Low, author of Hawaiki Rising - Hokule’a, Nainoa Thompson and the Hawaiian Renaissance. Please see page 21 or read the article below. Aloha THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBSERVER KA WAI OLA ARTICLE, SEPTEMBER 2014 By Tiffany Hill Sam Low has always felt the mana of the sea. The distinguished and permanently bearded Low was born and raised an hour from the New England coast. After graduating from Yale University in 1964, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. He then studied nautical archaeology, remembering the day he spent in the Yale library poring over the pages of The Canoes of Oceania, a book about the voyaging vessels of Polynesia, Fiji and Micronesia. “It captured my imagination,” says Low, from his home in Massachusetts. “It was obvious to me that our ancestors did not sail aimlessly on rafts.” It was this sentiment, and the oceans themselves that shaped his career, awakened his cultural identity and ultimately, gave him national recognition. Five thousand miles away in Hawai‘i, around the time Low was reading The Canoes of Oceania, a group of like-minded people, envisioned setting sail. They would later become part of Low’s ‘ohana, and after 10 years of research, form the basis of his multi-award winning masterpiece. Today, many in Hawai‘i are familiar with this work, Hawaiki Rising: Höküle‘a, Nainoa Thompson and the Hawaiian Renaissance. The book, now in its third printing, weaves the story of Höküle‘a and its inaugural crew, including Nainoa Thompson, Mau Piailug and Sam Ka‘ai, as they transcended barriers during a time when Polynesian sailing methods were questioned and the Native Hawaiian culture faced extinction. Between meticulous research, typing his notes or editing his films, Low’s passion emerged. But he viewed his work simply as his kuleana. “It isn’t just a job. It’s what I do as a documenter.” Previous to Hawaiki Rising, Low wrote, directed and produced The Navigators, a one-hour documentary recreating the exploration and settlement of Polynesia. This August, his seafaring work took him back to his New England roots, where Low was awarded the prestigious Walter Cronkite Award on Martha’s Vineyard, an island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Low is the first Native Hawaiian to receive the award, named for the late CBS news anchor, and presented by grandson Walter Cronkite IV. The award and the recognition were humbling, he says, pausing. “I saw it as (another) opportunity to fulfill my role. For us who consider ourselves documenters of any kind, it was a rich experience.” Low was honored alongside renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle, who was featured in the documentary Mission Blue, now on Netflix. The two were described as “champions of the oceans.” The son of a Caucasian woman from Connecticut and a Native Hawaiian paniolo from Hawai‘i Island, Low proudly identifies as a Native Hawaiian. He first came to Hawai‘i in 1964, at the age of 22, where he met his Hawai‘i family and sat at the knee of küpuna. “I wanted to tell the stories of my people, of the canoe,” he says. The fact that he grew up in a creative home – both his parents were artists – further ignited Low’s calling. “I learned you must have passion. Whatever you do becomes a part of you.” For each copy of Hawaiki Rising the author sells on his personal website, Low inscribes the book and mails it himself. “It’s a zen-like moment for me,” he says. Thanks to Mälama Honua, the three-year, worldwide voyage of Höküle‘a and her sister canoe, Hikianalia, his film and book are gaining a wider international audience. Low has upcoming book readings and film showings scheduled months out, including at Hawai‘i Island’s Waimea Ocean Film Festival in January. He’s also publishing an e-reader version of Hawaiki Rising this fall. Hawai‘I Island is his favorite; he tries to visit Hawai‘i every year. In his spare time, Low recently began painting, following in the footsteps of his creative parents. And he still sails as much as possible. “I’ve grown to realize voyaging is a metaphor for understanding your role in the world,” he says. “Voyaging contains many universal values; you have to have a vision, a plan and train and prepare for success. You need aloha.” Tiffany Hill is a freelance writer based in Honolulu. She writes locally for Hawaii Business, Hawai‘I magazine, Hana Hou! Magazine and the Hawaiian news website, akeakamaihawaii. oha.org/ka-wai-ola/kepakemapa-2014
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 17:11:44 +0000
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