Historic Sail showcases Micronesian craftsmanship, navigation

UOG President Dr. Underwood stands with the traditional navigators from the Lamotrek, Yap State, Micronesia at a ceremony celebrating their voyage (link).

For centuries, the people of the central Caroline Islands have relied heavily on their voyaging canoes as their primary means of transport. They made voyages to islands near and afar to obtain necessities including food, tools, and other valuables. In some instances, following devastating natural calamities, their canoes are used to relocate to a different island as was the case for the “Carolinians” now residing in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI). 

Today, the art of canoe building and traditional celestial navigations, continues in these remote islands of the Federated States of Micronesia. Although at a smaller scale than what it used to be, the important knowledge of their ancestors is being passed on to younger generations. Waa’gey is a community-based organization that is working with their island communities to promote traditional skills and knowledge transfer.

Historic Micronesian Canoes Make Landfall on Guam

(Hagåtña Harbor, Guam) This week, three hand-carved sailing canoes landed on Guam, completing a five-day voyage across the open ocean from Yap State. This arduous five day trek highlights the ongoing success of Waa’gey, a Yap-based mentorship program that trains island youth in traditional canoe carving and navigation. The voyage between Yap State and Guam served to bridge both time and cultures.

“Waa’gey students are trained to see the value in the traditions of our ancestors,” said Larry Raigetal of Lamotrek Atoll, the group’s Program Director. “They learned to build a large sailing canoe with their own two hands, and put traditional navigation into practice on a real voyage. The old ways still work.”

The canoes used were “Carolina Proas,” complex all wood outriggers designed, perfected, and made famous by Micronesians over centuries. Larry oversaw the project, captaining one of the sleek vessels that early Spanish missionaries called, “flying proas.” Designing, building and navigating traditional canoes requires tremendous expertise.

Good Grades, Kind Words from Student in Yap, Micronesia

Great news reaches Habele from Francis Yarofalyango, a junior at Yap Catholic High School (YCHS). Francis has earned honors for perfect attendance and a high average across all six of his first quarter courses!

Francis is a native of Lamotrek an isolated, low lying coral atoll in Micronesia. Through his Habele Scholarship, he is able to attend a prestigious independent school on Yap Proper, the more populous State Capital.

Like many Habele scholars, Francis also participates in Habele sponsored enrichment and extracurricular programs, such as sports leagues and robotics teams. He even had a hand in the crafting of the US-FSM Friendship Canoe, which just arrived in South Carolina.

Francis -or "Cisco" to his teachers and close friends- is emblematic of the ambitious, driven students Habele seeks to support.

"Cisco had a tremendous quarter," explained Mr. Wiencek, the Yap Catholic Algebra II and Trigonometry Instructor. "He worked very hard for his grade and was a great help to his classmates during collaborative assignments." Social Studies teacher Mr. Mailen adds "Francis' passion to learn about history is obvious and it has driven him to excel."

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Traditional, Sustainable Food after Maysak Destruction

Micronesia's remote Outer Islands were fortunate enough to receive emergency supplies of food and water immediately after the destruction of Typhoon Maysak. These rations are crucial for short term survival, but the need to revive traditional, sustainable food sources is an ongoing need.

Volunteers with Waa'gey - a Habele partner organization - have jumped in to help bolster relief work with a long-term food solution for some of Yap State's most isolated Outer Islands.

Drawing on traditional and local knowledge of storm relief, Waa'gey volunteers collected over fifty baskets of traditional crop seedlings, which they will personally deliver to the atolls of Faraulep and Piik. Inside the baskets are over 500 plants, including taro, banana, tapioca, sweet potatoes and even mahogany trees. These are familiar crops, identified by islanders as the most targeted means of helping remote communities regain self-sufficiency.