About 200 people gathered in the Brigham Young University–Hawaii Heber J. Grant Building on Saturday, October 17, 2026, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the dedication and launch of the majestic 57-foot twin-hulled (wa‘a kaulua) blue-water sailing canoe Iosepa from Hukilau Beach in Lā‘ie, Hawaii, on November 3, 2001. Iosepa has been berthed permanently since 2008 at the Polynesian Cultural Center Hawaiian Village in a prominent A-framed hālau wa‘a (learning center) when it’s not at sea.

Many of those attending the symposium had either crewed on the canoe or volunteered to help Tongan master carver Tui‘one Pulotu, the octogenarian former labor missionary from Lā‘ie who helped build the second phase of the BYU–Hawaii campus and the PCC in the early 1960s (who passed away within days of the symposium), and Hawaiian master carver Kawika Eskaran, a BYUH and PCC alumnus now from Kahuku, create the canoe between March–October 2001. Others helped during later dry-docking periods, sailing drills, and voyages.

Thousands participated in the canoe’s 2001 dedication: Hundreds of people visited the work site during those first months, culminating at Hukilau Beach to hear Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicate Iosepa, then helped launch it into the bay.

Elder Ballard’s great-grandfather, Joseph F. Smith, was the sixth president of the Church (1911–1918), and the son of Hyrum Smith). He first came to Hawaii as a 15-year-old missionary in 1854 and was given the Hawaiianized name, Iosepa. He returned several times, including to live in Lā‘ie and on his last trip, dedicated the Laie Hawaii Temple site in 1915.

(Unfortunately, President Smith died during the 1918 worldwide flu pandemic, so President Heber J. Grant ultimately dedicated the new temple — only the fifth one in the history of the Church and the first one built outside continental North America — on Thanksgiving Day 1919. That’s one reason a BYUH building is named after him. For its first several decades the Laie Hawaii Temple served ALL of the Pacific islands and Asia.)

In early 2001 Hawaii Reserves, Inc. (HRI) authorized BYUH’s new Hawaiian Studies program to use a vacant lot on the (Hauula-side corner of Naniloa Loop and Kamehameha Highway in Laie, which many assumed was a park, but had actually been “land-banked” and is now home of the North Shore Marriott Courtyard Hotel and Laie McDonald’s restaurant). The logs from Fiji arrived there on the morning of February 8, 2001.

Welcome to the symposium: BYUH Vice President Kevin Daws welcomed everyone. He recalled how years earlier he participated in a Church Educational System board of trustees meeting about the Iosepa.

“President Kauwē wanted me to specifically say to you how much he loves you and how grateful he is for working with you in a collaborative partnership with BYU–Hawaii, the PCC, and many of you in preparation to make that proposal to the board.”

“It was a sacred few minutes of discussion, and the First Presidency and the board deliberated about whether they would approve the proposal. …In the end, the board was pleased and unanimous in their approval for Iosepa to sail again. There was very clear direction that they wanted us to move forward in the ways that we had regained their trust….”

For this anniversary event he said, “To be successful it has to include looking forward with a renewed commitment,” and in that regard, he explained (with some help from former Dean Alohalani Houseman) that its theme — the Hawaiian proverb Kihe Ka Ihu I Ka ‘Ale — (literally, “one who sneezes when the spray from the surf rises at the bow of a canoe”) “is said of someone who moves forward and braves danger in the midst of challenge… i.e., a metaphor for navigating life.”

“Early beginnings” backstories: Former BYUH President Eric B. Shumway (who also served as an interim president of the PCC), an eloquent speaker in either oratorical Tongan since his youthful mission in the South Pacific kingdom in the late 1950s/early 1960s or in English, delivered the keynote address about the early beginnings of the BYUH Hawaiian Studies program in the late 1990s, and the 2001 launch of Iosepa.

Comparing the latter with the canoe sailing now, he congratulated “all of you who are here, who are actually recipients of many of the blessings represented by Iosepa. I do not use the term ‘miracle’ lightly with regard to the inception, the beginnings, the construction, and the launching of this canoe,” he said.

“…The story of Iosepa can easily be embraced with the same conviction of heaven’s help as with more celebrated historical moments here in Hawai‘i,” including “the founding of Lā‘ie itself as a gathering place.”

“I believe that every person here, every person connected with Iosepa, must have in his or her heart a conviction of the divine agency out of which it emerged. My purpose today is to provide some of the backstories of what we celebrate today.”

The hiring of William K. “Uncle Bill” Wallace III: “I want to identify certain high points, the first of which was hiring William K. Wallace III in 1991 as a member of the BYU–Hawaii history department.” (The late Wallace had graduated from BYUH, previously served as a senior manager at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and had been president of the Laie Community Association.)

“I was the academic vice president at the time, and there was considerable discussion and pushback because technically, Bill was not a trained historian,” President Shumway continued. “He was a lawyer with a Juris doctorate and no university teaching experience, but I jumped into the debate. For me, there was a powerful sense that we needed the man who would easily adjust to the classroom and university life. It was the right decision. He was loved by students and respected by his university colleagues.”

“I became the university president in 1994, and in 1995 we invited Bill to take the lead in expanding a course of study involving Hawaiian language and Pacific and cultural studies. It was the following year that I came decisively to the conclusion that BYU–Hawaii must have a stronger academic program featuring Hawaiian and Pacific studies.”

Wide community unanimity existed: Attending a 1996 conference sponsored by the Queen Emma Foundation at Turtle Bay “to discuss issues critical to the North Shore community” (but anticipating vocal protests, “I was amazed to find wide unanimity about working harmoniously together, the importance of spirituality, inner harmony, and a sense of reverence for life, God, and fellow human beings.”

“There was a longing for stronger families, greater fidelity, happier marriages, better parenting, more accessible education, a stronger economy, and more jobs, ways, and means to help people help themselves. There were moments I thought I could feel the presence of Queen Emma herself, as well as her concern for all, I mean all the current people of the land.”

President Shumway knew such a program “would require approval from the board of trustees, have a budget of its own, new office space, and a more comprehensive curriculum.”

By 1999, he said with the new program reaching a fundraising goal — based on the significant generosity from eight private donors as well as a large grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation — the board of trustees approved increasing the endowment of the Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian Language and Cultural Studies. It was later renamed the Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Island Studies, and it quickly established a three-part language and cultural curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree, including agricultural and ocean components.”

The crowning icon would be the construction and sailing of a Hawaiian wa‘a kaulua as used in ancient Polynesian migrations.

In 1999, Uncle Bill contacted Tui‘one Pulotu, a well-known Tongan carver and canoe builder, and asked if he would build a wa‘a kaulua for the Jonathan Nāpela Center. At that time, he was in Tonga, already commissioned to create a kalia (where one hull, smaller than the other, acts as an outrigger) for the Tongan National Center in Nuku‘alofa.

Tui‘one agreed, and before returning to Hawaii in early 2001, he completed the 105-foot Mileniume (named in honor of the year-2000) and selected seven huge logs from Fiji for the new Hawaiian Studies canoe. The logs arrived in Laie at the carving site one month after he returned from Tonga.

In his remarks, President Shumway reported the Mileniume, unfortunately, had been seriously damaged while trying to remove it from the harbor in Nuku‘alofa, and met a sad ending a few years later. “I tell you this sad story to emphasize that Tui‘one’s experience with Iosepa was exactly the opposite. Whatever sorrows and frustrations he felt in Tonga were swept away in the events in which the majesty of Iosepa emerged.”

“At the beginning of this sailing canoe’s building, he had to make a proposal to the board of trustees, just as Vice President Haws said a while ago, you do things according to the board’s permissions.”

The CES executive committee visits the work site: “Not all board members were enthusiastic about the proposal to build a double-hulled canoe and sail it,” President Shumway continued. “But that changed when the executive committee of the board visited the construction site in the spring of 2001.”

“I had described for them the extraordinary spirit that attended the arrival of the logs and the almost reverent atmosphere of the construction site. In Tui‘one’s words, ‘We remember the profound impression that the massive dakua logs made on us all when they were delivered by truck to the construction site, each large log weighing more than three tons. We all sort of treated them like living things after the Hawaiian view of nature, representing the spirits of our ancestors. That first cut, the logs were beautiful, and Uncle Bill was anxious to launch every phase of the canoe construction with a ceremony, praying, and feasting.’”

“Elder [Henry B.] Eyring pulled me aside and said, in effect, ‘President Shumway, you are right. I feel the spirit that you have described.’ He later climbed into one of the hulls and signed his name on the inside wall of the hull,” as did Elder Ballard.

By late October, President Shumway said, “The completed Iosepa was elegant almost beyond words, but yet to be dedicated and launched.”

“Iosepa is the only component of a specific academic program so dedicated that I am aware of at BYU–Hawaii. The dedication and launch of Iosepa was a moving and spectacular event with hula dancers and choirs. Over 5,000 people were in attendance, and after [the dedicatory prayer], Elder Ballard and special guests moved close to help push Iosepa on its path to the ocean. Of course, Tui‘one was dressed for the occasion and blew the conch shell at the appropriate moment.”

“This canoe is a culmination of our best community effort. Despite the artistry and skill of the master craftsmen themselves, Tui‘one Pulotu and Kawika Eskaran, they both testified you cannot replace the heart of the volunteer. Thousands of hearts, hands, and feet contributed to this remarkable monument: Those of school children, friends, strangers, tourists, church leaders, teachers, old and young people of many nationalities, passersby, and of course, our own Hawaiian studies students.”

“The speed with which this project was accomplished from March to October is a tribute to these combined efforts. As Kawika Eskaran put it, ‘Many projects like this have a tendency to be exclusive, to be territorial, and political. This project has been totally inclusive. It has drawn many people to the inner circle of this community’s love. Every person who has come has added their personal spirit to the canoe.’”

“From the beginning, this entire project has been devoid of controversy and contention. A spirit of reverence, even reconciliation, prevailed. Everyone obeyed the special kapu [taboo] of no drinking, no smoking, no arguing, and no profanity. The canoe was born out of unity and love among the workers. This was an amazing thing to experience.”

“It was largely attributed to the humility and respect manifest in the character of the two master craftsmen themselves, as well as Uncle Bill. Any visitor was treated with great respect. The master craftsmen would themselves stop the work and face those who had come, especially schoolchildren, and talk about the Iosepa.”

Miraculous help would suddenly show up: “Another thing that was amazing about this project, that Kawika talked about, is that ‘every time we needed something, or we were stumped or ran into a brick wall, someone would suddenly show up who knew the answer, who knew the solution. It was more than a coincidence. It seemed miraculous.’”

“‘The person who had the knowledge we needed or the piece of equipment or the right experience was just there, such as Wright Bowman, a 94-year-old expert in canoe building. Cap Bertelmann, a captain from the canoe Makali‘i. ‘Babe’ Keanu (a house mover from Hauula) volunteered to mobilize his crew to move this 13-ton canoe by truck from the construction site to the launching site.”

“Pat Ross, who has a tugboat service, volunteered to help with the launch and secure an excellent mooring spot in Laie Bay. Also, Brother Kawika said, ‘One day my body was so sore and out of joint, I could hardly move, and who would show up but [the late] Bula Logan, an expert in Hawaiian lomilomi massage. He fixed me up very soon.’”

“Another aspect of the project was described by Vonn Logan. ‘This canoe is a testimony of what our community can accomplish. The master artists and builders are our own. Our children don’t have to look beyond our own North Shore to find their heroes. They are the mommies and daddies of their friends. Genius and artistry are not separated from community citizenship and family.’”

Finally, “there has been a unifying power in this whole creation project in which, as the Apostle Paul would testify, ‘There are no more strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints in the household of God.’ No more Pākē, no more Kepanī, Sāmoan, Tongan, Filipino, no more Haole, only ‘ohana. Everyone is ‘ohana and fellow citizens in the environment of Aloha.”

“Think of it. Ponder it,” President Shumway said. “It is significant that the Hawaiian canoe, this Hawaiian canoe, was designed and built by a Tongan out of logs from Fiji, with the close assistance of a Hawaiian master carver and volunteers from everywhere.”

“Furthermore, this canoe represents much more than the idea of past accomplishments and the travel technology of ancient Hawaiians and other Polynesians. Iosepa ‘turns the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children’….remembering that the real perspective of the ancestors is the perspective of the holy temple, not just the perspective of an ancient culture.”

Iosepa represents a covenant voyage: “Any voyage of Iosepa represents a covenant voyage, a covenant path through the waves of the mighty sea of this world. Iosepa also represents the aspirations, hopes, and the preparation of our youth for their own mighty voyage in the future, perhaps a global voyage, but certainly an eternal voyage. That preparation must combine the skills of mind and body, hands, with the attributes of a heart, faith, hope, charity, trust, and unity.”

“If our state motto is true, Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Āina i ka Pono, ‘the life of the land is preserved in righteousness,’ then it must also surely be true that the success of the voyages of Iosepa is also achieved in righteousness, and that is the significance of Iosepa. Mālō ‘aupito. Thank you very much. As they say in Tonga, the long speech is over.”

Other speakers at the symposium included:

Jerusha Wallace Magalei, Wallace’s oldest daughter and a BYUH department head in Special Education, helped organize the symposium (along with Alohalani Houseman). She is deeply connected to Ko‘olauloa and Hawai‘i, and has a deep appreciation for her ancestors, their faith, and the knowledge and cultural practices passed from generation to generation.

“I wasn’t supposed to be on it. I think it was 2004 when they were getting ready to go out for their first sail, …Uncle Cap was sitting on the beach with me, and we were watching everyone swim out… and he’s like, ‘What are you doing?… Why aren’t you out there?’ And I just cried, and I said, Well, I didn’t do what I’m supposed to. …He just looked at me, and he said, ‘I said that you can go. Now, what are you going to do?’”

“What I found out from this and what I’ve learned from that is faith in ourselves can grow when we think that we can’t do it, but other people see that we actually can. Iosepa provides this opportunity, and it has for so many people, and it continues to do so.”

Jerusha also shared one of her dad’s “captain’s log things.”: “On July 13, 2004, my father took Iosepa out as captain without the Makali‘i captains for the first time. Okay, this was scary. If you guys don’t know, my dad never in his life before captained a wa‘a. …He really didn’t know what he was doing, so there was a lot of faith. …The night before, he told the crew they would sail on their own. They had trained for the moment, and my dad felt that they were ready, and so apparently did Uncle Clay.”

[From the log]: “Our crew has been working hard, and they are ready. I hope that I will be able to continue to help them grow and allow me the time to take on the kuleana that I have accepted to be the captain for Iosepa. It is a big job, but it is one of the best jobs that I’ve ever had and will always give me new experiences.”

“I thought about this last part of what he was saying here, and that it was the best job that he ever had,” Jerusha said. “My dad has had many jobs, and being the captain of Iosepa wasn’t one of those things that I thought was his favorite job. But it ended up becoming something that he loved, and it was part of our lives every single day.”

“…His experience of being with Iosepa helped him to see a side of himself that he never knew before. …‘It has allowed me to discover a side of me that I never knew existed. A voyaging side, a sailing side, a canoe side, a final piece that makes my life more complete and gives me a greater perspective as to who I really am as a person, as a husband, as a father, as a grandfather, as a son, as a brother, and as a son of God.”

“It’s so neat to go back and see all of the amazing people that were a part of this really special opportunity. …We’re so grateful for Uncle Clay and for others, …and everything they’ve done to help support Iosepa. …One of the things that President Shumway was talking about was his legacy and looking forward, and this is a mentality I think that many of us have that are involved with Iosepa today.”

“As we know, Iosepa’s made of wood. It’s not going to be around forever, but there are things that the Iosepa crew are doing that have been amazing. We have smaller vessels that we’re training on and a whole bunch of things that we’re trying to do. And so we know that at some point, one day, Iosepa may not be able to sail, but we’re grateful that he is still.”

“I’ll leave you with Dad’s words before I sit down. He’s better at sharing his thoughts than me, for sure about Iosepa”: ‘…Because of the great work of many thousands of hands and spirits who gave of their time, of their substance, and of their well-being in order for our canoe to be born, these sacred gifts from Fiji bless our lives and have connected our people forevermore.

‘The spirit of the canoe is real, and it is the culmination of everyone and everything that has had contact with it. It is a spirit of the people that inspires the master carver to move forward with his work and to look upon these logs with great admiration and anticipation, constantly calculating in his mind, shaping with his hands, inspecting with his eyes the details of his work, ever continuing in the shaping of the dream.’

‘It is the history of our past, it is a record of our present efforts, and it will be the vehicle upon which the future will travel. The spirit of the canoe brings people together from many different places to work on a common goal. Artisans, cultural leaders, religious leaders, students, and community members feel the spirit and hear the voice of the canoe.’

‘The master carver leads the way, giving us comfort in his work, for his devotion is complete, and his skill is guided by the voices of our ancestors to constantly reach out, to inspire, to share, and to serve. The result is that we too, like our ancestors of the past, find ourselves with a vessel of curious workmanship, a symbol connecting the past with the present, a token of love for our ancestors, a gift for future generations, a testament of faith, and a vision of where we came from, who we are, why we were preserved on these isles of the sea, and a declaration that we indeed are counted in the fold of the Good Shepherd, even our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.’

“I bear my testimony that I know that being a part of Iosepa has really helped me to see all of the themes that my dad has shared… I also believe in the mission and the vision of Iosepa and how much I know that it’s made a big difference in my life and in the life of my family,” Jerusha said.

“It hasn’t always been something that we loved. It took my dad away from us for a lot of really important events, but I learned quickly that if I wanted him to be a part of my life, I needed to be in the places where he was. Being a part of Iosepa has helped me …and my children, and has helped many people in our family grow closer to our dad, grow closer to our ancestors, and especially grow closer to the Savior, and we’re so grateful for our opportunity. Aloha.”

Next up: Master carver Tui‘one Pulotu: In introducing him, Jerusha pointed out he is now in his mid-80s, and “has become widely respected for his exceptional artistry, traditional knowledge, and dedication to preserving Polynesian craftsmanship.

“I want to say that the Iosepa project was an amazing thing, that people came out and helped us with it,” Pulotu responded. “There was only one guy who was assigned from the Hawaiian Studies program to help me, David Eskaran, and the rest were all volunteers. Like I said, we had a very good time building the canoe.”

The blueprint: …“Getting ready to sail, the fire department came over, and they said they had to inspect the canoe. …One of the guys came to me and said, ‘Where’s the blueprint?’ And I said, ‘What blueprint? I don’t have a blueprint. I do it all from my head. I wanted to do it that way because the Hawaiians didn’t have any blueprints to build canoes. They built it from their heads or from the experience.”

Coming to Hawai‘i: In conclusion, Pulotu expressed how grateful he was to be a part of this project. “I was meant to be here,” he said, recalling when he first heard labor missionaries from Tonga, Sāmoa, and New Zealand were being selected to go to Hawaii [60-plus years ago], oh man, I’d love to go. He went to his room to offer “a very simple prayer” that he might be one of them.

“President [Wendell B.] Mendenhall came to Tonga and called 25,” but I wasn’t one of those. When the labor mission leaders went on to New Zealand, a Tongan leader there pointed out 30 had been called from Tonga during the first labor mission in Hawai‘i [1955–1957], to which President Mendenhall responded, ‘When you go home, tell the mission president to call five more,’ and I was one of those five,” Pulotu said. “That’s why I’m here today with you.”

Houseman next introduced speaker Uncle Chadd Paishon, “a respected captain, master navigator, cultural practitioner and educator dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the ancestral traditions of wayfinding.”

She pointed out he began his voyaging journey in 1990 through the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s apprentice navigator program as the organization prepared for its 1992 voyage to Rarotonga. He later joined Nā Kalai Wa’a O Moku o Keawe, where he helped construct the voyaging canoes Makali‘i and Alingano Maisu — the latter gifted to renowned master navigator Mau Piailug.

“Following years of voyaging, mentorship, and traditional navigation training, Chadd was one of the five PVS navigators inducted into the Pwo Hall in 2007 by Papa Mau. Today, Chad serves as the captain of Makali‘i on Hawai‘i Island, continuing a legacy of indigenous navigation, cultural revitalization, and ocean stewardship.”

Before Paishon began his remarks, several Makali‘i crew members and others greeted him Hawaiian style with the rousing chant written by Kumu Lapu Case of Palou Kealoha Maupua, created when Makali‘i was being built in 1994. He then explained, “She wrote the oli to honor two men, brothers who had also dedicated themselves to voyaging, Clay Bertelmann and his youngest brother, Shorty Bertelmann.”

Shorty was one of the crew members who made the inaugural voyage aboard Hōkūle‘a in 1976, and he eventually became Mau Piailug’s first Hawaiian student. Clay eventually followed in his younger brother’s footsteps and became a sailor aboard Hōkūle‘a, eventually becoming one of its captains alongside his brother.

“I was born in Papakōlea [in Honolulu] and then raised on Third Row in Nānākuli, but this community has always been a stronghold for my family,” Paishon said. “My kupuna was born in a little place called Iosepa [Utah], and when the Laie Temple was being built, they came home to Hawai‘i. She eventually also ended up working at the Polynesian Cultural Center in the Hawaiian Village. Her name was Ewa Halemanu Paishon.”

“So coming to work in Lā‘ie, as we grew up, there’s always this connection back to this place because my kūpuna are also buried here in Lā‘ie. For Clay and Shorty, they were also raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and when Iosepa was being built, Clay received a call from Uncle Bill asking if he would come to see what we could do to help with the building and also training the crew.”

“Clay eventually shared with the crew of Makali‘i that he had spoken with Uncle Bill, and that he made the commitment to come, which automatically meant for all of us that we were coming, too. It is very clear for us that we move as one, whether we’re on the deck of the canoe or we’re on land. When our captain says he’s committing to something, that also means we’re committing to something.”

“This was a blessing for many of us because we got to come back here to live, learn, and witness the amazing work that was taking place in building Iosepa…  Standing alongside Uncle Bill and all of the crew members and the community who helped support Iosepa, like with our building of Makali‘i, it became very clear for us that our voyaging canoe does not exist without our community and our families.”

Paishon noted their canoe ‘ohana took nine months to build and launch Makali‘i on February 4, 1995,  “and 31 years later, Makali‘i continues to reach out to our community, both here in Hawaii and throughout the Moana Nui Akea [Pacific Ocean] …It’s always important that we remember what we are able to contribute. First, …within our homes, our families, and our community.”

“Clay would always say, ‘When you’re on the canoe, think island. When you’re on the island, think canoe.” …Or as a young teacher at one time that brought his students to Makali‘i once said, ‘Uncle, you mean like he wa‘a, he moku, he moku, he wa‘a?’ “Uncle Clay agreed. Now, that has become almost an ‘ōlelo no‘eau” [proverb].

“As for the veterans, we must remember those that came before us, our ancestors, that always understood their connection to place, that always understood the importance of their families. That in this day and time, it’s vitally important that we don’t forget. That we continue to remember that we come from great people, that we continue to remember that we have been given so much in this life, that we are gifted by great people that surround us, that are able to be there for us, that reach out their hands for us, just like Jesus Christ has done.”

Captain Paishon also paid tribute to the positive influence The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had in the relationship among the Makali‘i and Iosepa ‘ohana… “The relationship that was started is something that we hold dear as family. …Mahalo nui for allowing (us) to be a part of this family. Mahalo nui to the community of Lā‘ie for all you continue to do. For all the many hands that have come before us, and for the future, for those that are coming to now, are taking your place.”

“We look forward to continuing this relationship. …As I was taught, the greatest navigators trust in the Spirit, the still, small voice within.”

Kumu Cy Bridges: Houseman introduced the next speaker as “a distinguished Hawaiian culture practitioner, master chanter, musician, and educator whose lifelong dedication to preserving Hawaiian language, genealogy, and traditions has left an enduring legacy.”

“A Church College of Hawaii alumnus, Cy began working at the Polynesian Cultural Center in the late 1960s, eventually dedicating 45 years of full-time service to the institution. Alongside his cousin, William Uncle Bill Wallace, he established the PCC’s hālau hula, Hui Ho‘oulu Aloha, which earned nearly 50 awards and participated in prestigious events, including the Merrie Monarch Festival.”

“Cy also composed Hiki Mai I Na Pua I Ka Lā Ie, the beloved Hawaiian chant that has become a signature tradition at BYU–Hawaii.”

Among other things, Uncle Cy told how his cousin, Uncle Bill, wanted his help with the Iosepa project, “but he never did call me to come. So, I would go and park on the side and watch. I was there when they brought the logs. I was there when John Ka‘imikaua came” [to conduct the ‘aha‘aina ceremony].

Finally one night, he went inside the carving site, and “Brother Tui‘one Pulotu said, ‘Well, it’s about time.’ “And Kawika [Eskaran] came and took me on the canoe; and “when they left, I just went around both hulls. I put my hand on the wa’a,” and after that he composed a mele for Iosepa,

“To make it simple,” he translated and explained part of the chant, which he shared: “There is my sacred canoe.”

“Basically, the canoe is part of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said, citing two examples: One, how Sela Feinga, a lady living in the community, would get up at 5:30 every morning to pick flowers to make haku lei and things for the PCC. Then she would make lūpulu [a traditional baked Tongan dish with meat, young taro leaves, coconut cream, salt and onions] for the families that gave her flowers.”

“I told her, Sela, let PCC pay for your making this lūpulu… [but Sela said]. ‘No, I’m not making it for PCC. I’m making it for the Church.’ To her, working there, she was working for the Church, not PCC.”

Uncle Cy also told the story of how years before the PCC opened, Aunty Mileka Conn had a distinctive niu kapakahi — a twisted coconut tree — growing in her yard in Lā‘ie. The famous developer, “Henry J. Kaiser offered her thousands of dollars for that tree. ‘No, not for sale,’ she said. But when [Church leader] President Edward Clissold asked on behalf of what would eventually become the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Hawaiian Village, she said, ‘Go ahead and take it.’

“When Henry J. Kaiser found out, he said, ‘I offered you thousands of dollars.’ She said, ‘I didn’t give it to them, I gave it to the Church.’”

[Though not mentioned during the symposium, one of Pulotu’s early labor missionary assignments was as the heavy equipment operator who moved the twisted coconut from Aunty Mileka’s yard in Lā‘ie to the PCC.]

In another example, Uncle Cy explained that anciently there was a pu‘uhonua or traditional place of refuge in Lā‘ie named Kū‘ula, and “when the Church purchased Lā‘ie Plantation in 1865, it continued to be a pu‘uhonua because [the Church and community] changed people’s lives. It changed them spiritually through the temple, higher education, and sharing our culture with people from all over the world. So, it was a pu‘uhonua.”

He wehi me na pua o ka naupaka: Uncle Cy said many people know “there are two naupaka flowers in the love story that were separated — one was consigned to the mountains,” and the other to the seashore — which represents that the dakua logs Tui‘one purchased “came from the uplands [in far-off Fiji] and were brought down to the shoreline of Lā‘ie to build the canoe.

He also added a third point of explanation, that the typical two half-flowers or split naupaka flowers represent the duality of the twin hulls, one of which is male and the other female. “The female is the wa‘a of life. It is through that wa‘a that life comes into this world.”

Finally, he said, referring to the literal theme of the symposium, “When a child is born, it sneezes …so it can breathe. Kihe, sneeze, and the spirit goes in, mauli.  When the mauli goes in, ola [life]. Hence, Hawaiians and Māori frequently chant the phrase unitedly, Kihe mauli ola.

Uncle Cy also said the reference to naupaka in the chant refers to “the person with the inspiration to build this canoe [Uncle Bill] and his family were living on Naupaka Street on Laie Point at the time.

Typically, Uncle Cy continued to share his deep understanding of Hawaiian culture and how it ties into the significance of the community, institutions, and Iosepa.

A veteran crew member panel

…shared memories and insights: As the half-day syposium started to wind down, a good cross-section of five former crew members from the past 25 years — Keanupōhina Mānoa, current Hawaii Islands manager; Kenale Sadowki, an attorney in federal court in Honolulu; Palekū Kahalepuna, Elijah Faleolo, and Kawehi Houseman — shared some of their past experiences with and more current feelings about the Iosepa. It was plain to see all were still enthusiastic about being part of the Iosepa.

Alohalani Houseman first asked them to respond (in no particular order): How has Iosepa impacted their lives?:

Sadowski said he was “full of gratitude for all who made Iosepa happen,” and noted that Uncle Bill “was the first Native Hawaiian attorney who inspired him to go to law school. Tui‘one was the best leader I’ve ever seen,” he added. “He made everyone welcome: First, we ate, then we worked.”

Mānoa recounted how when the truck got stuck during the 2014 launch, they said a prayer, and successfully got it out. “I know there were ancestors there, helping us,” he said.

Kahalepuna said, “The anticipation of his first sail was so exciting, but being out on the ocean brought me back to reality.” He added he is “still close” with all his fellow crew members. The memory of the “man overboard” drill, helping “save Uncle Clay” has also stuck with him, how there is a protocol for keeping the person in the water in sight, turning the canoe around, and tossing out the lifeline kit.

Kawehi Houseman commented on spiritual experiences: “It was an opportunity to remember the atonement of Jesus Christ. If we remember Him, and put everything on the altar of sacrifice, He will help us.”

Faleolo, who was on the O‘ahu to Moloka‘i leg in 2025, said, “I loved the crew I was with, and it was such a blessing to connect myself with the other islands.”

What did you see, feel, or learn on the voyage?

Sadowski said his voyage “helped prepare me for life: You have to have faith and trust in the people around you.”

Kahalepuna said, “We were supposed to pay attention to our leaders, but I learned we were all learning together.” He added he now really enjoys teaching at his alma mater, Kahuku High School.

Mānoa, who said he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be looking for “on watch,” was really surprised when he saw a large whale shark come alongside.

Houseman: “There’s a special spirit connected with the wa‘a. When you’re in the middle of the ocean, you’re very limited in your resources, and being a part of that is sacrificing.”

Faleolo: “The worst thing you can feel is seasickness. That taught me about my crew and myself,” he said. “We’re always going to have seasick days, but surround yourself with a good crew.”

How was it a personal voyage of faith (in one sentence)?

Mānoa: “I met my wife on the Iosepa.”

Sadowski: “Faith without works is dead.”

Kahalepuna: “If you want to find out what kind of person you are, go out and sail on a canoe.”

Faleolo: “Take action now, with your destination in mind.”

Houseman: “Nainoa Thompson taught, each of us should be building our own wa‘a, then fortify ourselves to reach where we want to go.”

The future

The last speaker of the morning, Captain Mark Ellis, who had been one of the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) captains aboard Hōkūle‘a with extensive sailing experience, related how BYU–Hawaii hired him in preparation for getting Iosepa ready to participate in the 2024 Pacific Festival of Culture and the Arts “gathering of canoes” at Kualoa State Park — a mission he carried out admirably.

More recently, PVS rehired him, but their president, Nāinoa Thompson, has made it clear they want to work with Iosepa and will allow Ellis to continue to help Iosepa however and whenever he can.

“We are voyagers of faith, but also disciples,” Ellis said. He stressed Iosepa and all those associated with it are building on the faith of our ancestors and the legacy of Iosepa by preparing for the eternities, and used the analogy of an traditional navigator has two critical decision points: Sunset, and sunrise, which help determine where we are, and where we’re going. Each one of us has to have our own testimony, so when storms come into our lives, that will help us move forward.”

In concluding the formal symposium, Lance Redding, a farmer and carver in Lā‘ie (who married into the Meatoga family), presented the Wallace family (shown at right) with a symbolic pahu, or carved drum, he had created.

The final activities after that included a luncheon in the foyer of the BYUH Heber J. Grant Building, accompanied by live Hawaiian music and hula, as well as a screening of Daniel Skaf’s award-winning video, The Birthing of Iosepa, in another room.

A special byline

— By Mike (Mikaele) Foley: His coverage of the BYU–Hawaii Iosepa 25th anniversary symposium for PCC’s Legacy.Polynesia.com historical website is excerpted from the final chapter of his new book, Launching the Iosepa: Embodying the Dream, which also covers the background years leading up to the creation of the Iosepa — the 57-foot BYUH Hawaiian Studies program traditional twin-hulled (wa‘a kaulua) Hawaiian ocean-sailing canoe — and its 25 years since (2001–2026). Some parts of Launching have not been read for many years, and most readers have never seen some of its photo illustrations.

Foley covered that story for all of those years for the Laie community newspaper (initially sponsored by Hawaii Reserves, Inc.), with a foreword from BYU–Hawaii President Eric B. Shumway, one of the people most responsible for starting the Hawaiian Studies program in 1998 and ultimately the creation of its iconic canoe, Iosepa. Launching Iosepa can soon be purchased online at nanilaie.org.

Its final chapter includes a more detailed presentation by former Laie Tongan labor missionary Sione Tui‘one Pulotu, the Iosepa master carver (along with Hawaiian master carver Kawika Eskaran). Unfortunately, Pulotu passed away soon after the symposium.

The Pulotu family also recently published his own book, written in the past few years by President Shumway (with limited assistance from Foley, Laie author Riley Moffat, and others). [NOTE: I do NOT know what provisions, if any, the Pulotu family has for selling copies of that book]).