Name: What you can learn crossing the ocean in a canoe
Uploaded: 2024-10-14T13:43:41Z
Duration: 5 min 6 s
Description: “Being on a voyage forces you to unplug,” says TED Fellow and third-generation captain Lehua Kamalu. Sharing ancient knowledge from traditional Hawaiian ocean voyaging, she reflects on the transformational power of seafaring journeys — and what it means to travel mindfully, no matter where you are.

Lehua Kamalu: What you can learn crossing the ocean in a canoe

What you can learn crossing the ocean in a canoe

“Being on a voyage forces you to unplug,” says TED Fellow and third-generation captain Lehua Kamalu. Sharing ancient knowledge from traditional Hawaiian ocean voyaging, she reflects on the transformational power of seafaring journeys — and what it means to travel mindfully, no matter where you are.

Seafaring in traditional Hawaiian canoes requires total focus and trust in nature’s signs, with no GPS or modern tools. For centuries, Indigenous navigators crossed vast oceans by reading stars, waves, and even the scents of distant islands. Colonization nearly erased this knowledge, but a new generation rebuilt lost skills and undertook epic voyages. This mindful approach to travel asks people to consider their impact and strive to leave every place better than they found it.