Written by: Mark Noguchi

Earlier this summer, Omidyar Fellows gathered on the Hōkūleʻa to hear Nainoa Thompson share about leadership. Mark Noguchi shares his reflections on the memorable evening:

These words are a way of life for voyagers because the belief is that you treat the canoe like your island. It is your home when you are at sea—it is your sanctuary, your haven, your community. Therefore, if one can act like a community on a 60' x 15' space, imagine what could be possible on land. To thrive as a community, every member needs to hold themself accountable and believe that we all have a similar vision. We might not always see eye to eye, and we might not always get along. However, if we can hold space and have the faith that we are all in it for the right reasons, shouldn’t that be a great start?

I look at the Fellows in a similar fashion: that we all come from diverse backgrounds, and while we might not always see eye to eye, I believe that we are all “in it” together. To lead is to sacrifice, and believe me when I say that the early generation of Hawaiʻi’s voyagers sacrificed much. Micronesian navigator Mau Pialug left his family to come to Hawaiʻi to reteach a small group of individuals the art of traditional celestial wayfinding. The year of the tragic capsizing of the Hōkūleʻa was 1978, which ended up with the loss of fellow crew member Eddie Aikau. Those are just two tales of the numerous sacrifices that a group of brave men and women shouldered in the early days of the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS).

In 2019, sister canoe Makaliʻi traveled to Mokumanamana, a small island that is part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Listen to Pwo Navigator Chadd Paishon’s short yet emotional talk before they embark. The entire voyage was provisioned by the island community of Hawaiʻi, Moku o Keawe. Dozens of families—hundreds of people—spent almost two years prepping for this voyage by growing the food and raising the animals to be processed into the nutritious meals that would sustain the dozen or so individuals. Many people did not have any personal connection to Makaliʻi, but there was a personal connection to their island community.

Omidyar Fellows gathered at Mauliola (also known as the Marine Education Training Center) on Sand Island. Instead of the usual quarterly gathering, we got to board māmā Hōkūleʻa as a “crew” and listen to Kumu, Father, Community Leader, and Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson. He shared his thoughts on leadership and how ʻohana Waʻa (our canoe family) is a reflection of the work we do as members of not just the Omidyar Fellows, but also as engaged members of our Hawaiʻi community. For Nainoa, it is always about training the next generation. To lead is to teach. I'm sure many of us were surprised when we realized that fact ourselves: that to truly lead is to inspire the next generation to solve and answer the questions that we could not.

I feel that to take ourselves out of the bubble of a “normal” Fellows gathering was a gift. It allowed us to reframe the context in which we do our work. It was an evening of great conversation, company, location... and the food didn’t suck either ;-). When I looked around at the faces of my colleagues, I saw validation, happiness, and hope because it was a moment to hang with others doing the very same work, just in a different medium.

From 2013-2019, PVS embarked on the Mālama Hōnua Worldwide Voyage, traveling to over 150 ports and 18 nations. This year, we continue the Moananuiākea Voyage navigating the Pacific Rim, over 43,000 nautical miles. These voyages are intended to bring us closer together as a worldwide community—to remind each and every one of us that together, we CAN change the world for the better.

As a proud member of ʻohana Waʻa, I see the same parallels that Nainoa shared. That the challenges we face are so big that not one of us can face and address them alone. But together, anything—and everything—is possible.

Mahalo nui loa to everyone involved and especially Mark Keala Kimura for letting me completely rearrange his engine bay. 

Me ke aloha pumehana...TSUA! 
Gooch