Aiga Folau o Samoa, Samoa Voyaging Society ready to welcome Pacific Voyaging family from Micronesia
Aiga Folau o Samoa, or Samoa Voyaging Society is preparing to welcome the Okeanos Waa'Qab Va'atele expected to arrive in Apia this weekend.
The Okeanos Waa'Qab, sailing with a crew of seven, is expected to make a brief three day stopover in Apia, to refresh crew and reprovision, enroute to their Cook Island destination.
The Vaka Motu Okeanos Waa'Qab departed Yap, Federated State of Micronesia on 1st September, to arrive in Pohnpei, FSM seventeen days later, for a 3,000 nautical mile voyage to the Cook Islands.
The three day stopover in Apia, expected this weekend, Saturday 1st October, will give the Crew a much needed rest and reprovision for the final leg to Rarotonga.
Aiga Folau, or Samoa Voyaging Society (SVS) is preparing a brief welcome with an Ava o le Feiloa'iga formality and a hosted dinner at the Aiga Folau fale at the STA Cultural Village, dependent on arrival.
According to Capt. Karl Steffany of Gaualofa, " We are excited to welcome Okeanos Waa’Qab to Samoa. It's always a joy for us, as voyagers, as sailors, to welcome our family of voyagers."
"We are also mindful that they have been at sea for almost four weeks and they will be ready for a short rest. Yes, I and our Aiga Folau are standing by to welcome Vaka Motu Okeanos Waa’Qab to Samoa." says Skipper of Samoa’s Gaualofa. (The Gaualofa was gifted to Samoa by Okeanos Foundation in 2012, during Samoa’s 50th Independence commemoration. )
Aiga Folau o Samoa, or Samoa Voyaging Society invites Samoa to make time to learn about "folauga a Samoa". Samoans were known as the great navigators of the Pacific, sadly, so many of our people have lost their connection to the ocean, the sea.
Says Skipper Karl Steffany :
"When you see the Okeanos Waa'Qab Va'atele arrive in Apia, we hope people will know and appreciate, that this canoe and crew, have traveled over, voyaged to Samoa, by "traditional navigation", - where they are using the sun, the stars, the waves, to navigate their canoe to Samoa, as our great ancestors used to travel the vast ocean.", said Skipper Karl (Kalolo) Steffany.
"Our hope is that our people, especially the Youth, will be inspired, to come and join us, learn about "folauga a tagata Samoa" , says Capt. Karl.
"O tagata Samoa, o tagata folau o le vavau," said Memea Lyvia Black, President of Samoa Voyaging Society.
"O folauga, na "tagata" ai Samoa !
"O folauga, o se tasi o measina a Samoa."
An urging from Aiga Folau :
"Here's our Pasefika Voyaging family, arriving in Apia, voyaging 3,000 nautical miles to their final destination, retaining and reviving Pacific ancestral traditional navigation knowledge."
"It is up to us, to preserve, "ia taofi", and revive, "toe faaolaola", our ancestor's incredible traditional ocean voyaging knowledge and skills !!"
"It is not too late !! The arrival of the Okeanos Waa'Qab is a reminder from our ancestors, - o se faamanatu, mai o tatou Tua'ā - ia aua ne’i tatou fa'atamala ma faagaloina lenei tomai - tau folauga a tagata Samoa o le vavau.
"Let us not forget, and be ignorant, of our ancestral traditional ocean voyaging and navigation knowledge and skills. Use it - or lose it !!"
"We, Aiga Folau, or Samoa Voyaging Society, look forward to welcoming our Pasefika voyaging family and Okeanos Waa'Qab."
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