Original subtitles

I am Lata.

I was born on the island of Tumaco.

I was the first voyager. I sailed to many islands.

On all these islands, I have children who tell my story.

When you hear my story, you too become my children.

Come sail with me and meet your brothers and sisters.

Thank you.

My name is Simon Salopuka.

I was born on the island of Tamako.

On Tamako, our ancestor is Lata, the first voyage.

I want the young people to know Lata's story.

When I was a child, my elders told me stories about how our ancestor, Lata,

built the first voyaging canoe.

and sailed to Faraway Island.

Lata named the vessel Tepuke.

There's a lot of water, a lot of sand, and there's a lot of water here.

There's a lot of water, a lot of sand, and there's a lot of water here.

I loved their stories, but when I was a child, tepuke were gone.

It was only in my dreams, but I was sailing with Lata.

Later on, I was away from home, and I heard that my cousin Brother Dickson had

actually joined the crew of a tepuke.

and made a voyage.

My name is Dixon Holland and I'm a cameraman from Tumaco.

We call him the bush journalist.

I also grew up on Tumaco. I remember sailing in small

dugout canoes.

I was afraid.

To me, it seemed to be very dangerous.

Yeah, if you drift out for more than two weeks or three weeks and you don't have

food, you are lucky to be dead.

When I was 18, I heard that some of my

elders were working on a project to bring back the tepuke.

I wanted to build one and learn how to sell it, like lata.

My

grandfather

was the paramount chief of Taumako.

When he first asked me to be a cameraman, I got a big question in my

Can I do it?

As a child, I left Tamako to go to school, and I studied to become a

doctor.

I spent 20 years away from home.

living in other countries and working at a hospital in the capital city Hunyara.

But the city life was difficult.

The streets were dangerous.

The air was dirty.

Everything cost too much money.

I felt uneasy and kind of lost.

I needed guidance, but who would help me?

I felt like something was missing, something deep from my

culture.

My elders still know how to build and sail voyaging canoes using only

traditional designs, materials and methods.

I think we are the only Polynesians who have living elders who actually did it

and can still teach us how.

I knew I had to go home and learn from them before they all died.

I wanted to learn how to be who I am.

When I arrived at Tomako, I saw that it was true.

The old people were teaching how to build and sell lattice cannons.

I was surprised to find that a woman from Hawaii was helping

I'm

an anthropologist and a sailor

I loved to learn how ancient voyagers explored the oceans and settled remote

islands long before Europeans arrived.

I documented voyaging traditions of Papua New Guinea islanders.

Then I sailed with sea hunters in the far north and learned about their

wayfinding methods.

All that time, I wondered if there might still be a living Pacific Islander who

had experienced the ancient voyaging life, who could still build a

vessel and navigate it by traditional means.

I was not really expecting to find that person when I arrived on a small island

in the southeast Solomons.

When I met Mimi in 2005, she told me that our word for voyaging canoes,

waka, had the same meaning all around the Pacific.

I wanted to learn more about what outsiders think about my people and

with what my people know.

There is evidence that about 5 ,000 years ago, people from Taiwan sailed to

distant Pacific islands.

It's clear that the sea around Talmaco was an oceanic crossroads.

Ancient sailors passed through here on routes between Southeast Asia and the

greater Pacific.

My elders told me that people from Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji used to come to

islands.

There are bones to prove it.

We even have a place called... There are at least 18

long -settled Polynesian islands in the Western Pacific.

Today, over 1 ,200 Austronesian languages are spoken from Taiwan to

Madagascar to Rapa Nui.

and we tell Lata stories.

Lata has different names in different places.

People on Taiwan still give offerings to laka, spirits who help them in the

ocean. In Samoa, Lata's name is Rata, and he built a great canoe.

In Tahiti, Rata rescued his parents' remains from the mouth of a giant clam.

In the Tuamotu Islands, Rata defeated the shark that killed his father.

In Hawaii, her name is Laka, goddess of the forest.

While she slept, the little people of the forest built her cannon.

Wherever Rata went, he also left children there.

He must have had wives all over the Pacific.

That sounds like my great -grand -uncle Tawake.

His cell is the pukai all over Temotu.

Wanikoro. Utapua, Ticopia, Anuta, Santa Cruz.

They were the world's greatest voyagers.

But how did they do it?

We know little about their vessels.

In 1606, Spanish explorers saw large seagoing canoes

near Taumaco.

but they gave very little description of them.

They did say that they saw one at sea that was 20 meters long and had 50

on board.

19th century European paintings show canoes near Talmaco with massive

outriggers and crescent -shaped sails, but the details are few.

When the Spanish face came to Tamako, they met Tumai, our great chief.

He tried to keep the peace, but they kidnapped four men from an island to

them navigate.

We never saw them again.

Great Britain's finest navigator, Captain James Cook, realized that

navigated using very different methods from his own.

During his first voyage, Cook met a Tahitian navigator named Tupaya and

him aboard the ship.

Using no physical instruments, Tupaya indicated the direction of 130 islands

and how many days it took to sail to many of them.

Cook never learned how Tupaya knew these things, but Cook did notice that people

across the Pacific spoke the same language.

In 1778, he wrote, How shall we account for this nation spreading

itself so far over this vast ocean?

When I was young, I was happy.

I went fishing with my relatives.

I helped them in the garden.

I listened to their old stories.

We were dancing, fishing, and living our tradition, what we call

custom.

Custom is our identity.

It guides our lives, but sometimes it haunts us.

My grandparents died on the island of Nifiloli, but we never gave them their

final fish.

According to my custom belief, if I go to that island, the spirits might take

life.

So I never visited that island.

Tamako is green and full of life.

Our springs overflow with pure fresh water. Our gardens provide us with taro,

sweet potatoes, yams, bananas and coconuts.

We raise pigs and chickens.

The sea gives us fish and lobsters.

We can feed ourselves as we have done for thousands of years.

Our traditional diet and our ways of producing it are sustainable.

Dixon sees things differently.

Our island has no electricity, no mobile phone towers, just a radio barely

running on solar power.

There is no place for a plane to land or a ship to anchor.

Transportation and communication with the outside world are a big problem for

us.

Trade ships, they are never on time.

Sometimes we have to wait five months.

When a cyclone hit our island in 2015, it destroyed the seawall that protects

our horses.

We lost many of our crops and fruit trees.

Sailing around the southeastern Solomon Islands can be dangerous.

The sea is rough.

Some ships trying to reach Tamako end up like this one, wrecked.

at Santa Cruz Island, still 120 miles away.

When I returned home, many things had changed.

The rising sea level caused many people to leave their village by the water and

move into the jungle.

People were no longer living and sharing together, and tribal groups were

separating. Many of the old people had passed away.

I really missed them.

I was worried that there would be no one left to learn from.

In 1920, there were over 200 voyaging canoes sailing around the southeast

Solomon Islands.

The people of these islands relied on voyaging.

to find marriage partners, foods, and goods not available on their home

But, like many Pacific Islanders, they endured kidnapping by slave traders,

oppressive colonial and missionary policies, foreign diseases, and modern

warfare.

For the first time, they labored to earn a foreign currency controlled by

outsiders so that they could buy foreign -made goods. trade goods.

The voyaging partnerships between the people of these islands broke down.

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Cargo ships did carry material goods to some places, but shipping did not

replace the old voyaging networks.

Today, young people rely on petroleum -powered engines.

It is difficult for them to imagine that an all wind -powered canoe will be

useful for travel to other islands.

People here need boats. They can build from local materials and maintain by

themselves.

Sustainable sea transportation.

In 1969 to 70, Dr. David Lewis sailed around the Pacific finding people

who knew the ancient navigation methods.

A few old wayfinders showed him that they could read the wind, sea, and

and find land just as accurately as anyone using European instruments.

David wrote about this in We the Navigators, and soon people around the

began to revive the practice of making voyages without modern instruments.

Most of what David learned came from sailing with one Solomon Islander, Simon

and Dixon's great -grand -uncle Basil Tevake.

When Tevake died in 1971,

David, and many others, thought he was the last Polynesian navigator who could

teach others and keep the flame alive.

David and I sailed together for many years.

By 1993, he was losing his vision and hearing.

He wanted to visit the Southeast Solomons one last time to say goodbye to

Tevaque's crew who might still be alive.

When we arrived at Taumaco, we met with Tevaque's one -time steersman, Coloso

Cavea, who was over 80 years old.

Chief Cavea remembered David, and he invited us to his home.

What he revealed to us there changed everything we thought we knew about

Polynesian voyaging.

He began by explaining that the navigation system of his ancestor, Lata,

the horizon into eight primary and 32 total named wind positions.

Lata could make the wind come from any of them.

so could his descendants.

I am Cruz de Cabea, the paramount chief and in

control of Tamaco.

My father is Latin.

I can remember Chief Cabea from when I was a child.

He was our most respected elder, so we called him Tematua.

The name Kavea means star path.

I remember he was very strict.

Like our ancestors, Kavea spent his life traveling to distant islands.

He was a master navigator, I'm a very powerful man.

When he spoke, people listened.

He knew how to deal with difficulties.

Our chief was generous and wise.

The community counted on him for help.

It was one of Cavea's main responsibilities as paramount chief to

wind.

and the seas.

I did 25 voyages either with Cavea or under his direction.

Anything and everything he told me about the weather or told me was going to

happen about the weather, no matter how wild and impossible it seemed from the

point of view of Western knowledge, every single thing was right.

He never missed once.

People don't usually believe me.

But I saw Tematua stop an advancing storm. The wind became calm and the

cleared away.

He made a short meditation as he lashed the sticks to the Vaka and he pointed

them towards the storm.

When he set these various sticks up and said his prayers and

pointed them at, or called the wind to come in from a certain wind

position.

It worked every time.

I could easily imagine how our ancestors could voyage if they had Kabea's

confidence and knowledge.

Kavea told his crew how to overcome problems, like if the vaka was damaged

sea.

On the open ocean, it helps to have guidance on those who have gone before.

Lata is the name, not just of the original Lata, but also for any leader

voyage, any time.

Kaweah was the living Lata.

Me no say count them anything, lo see.

No matter me float for one week or two weeks, lo see.

But me still think that, uh,

buy a wind come yet, yeah. Because he'm not teaching me about him, that one.

Then him pass over and go, lo, dive lo me. Then dive lo me and put him come.

And me hear him, lo, previous time, lo, time, lo, to grannies, where, or to

ancestors, or to sailing before, lo, to say face him this one too, yeah.

If we want to sail confidently, we need a seaworthy vessel, so we asked our

grandfather how to build a tepuke.

His answer surprised us.

The people must eat well so that their tools eat the wood.

Cavea's grandchildren asked him to tell more about how to build a tepuque.

So he told them the story of Lata.

According to the old story, our ancestor Lata was the first person to build

and sail a voyaging canoe.

Lata lost his parents.

So to build his tepuke, he needed help.

Luckily, he came upon a forest bird named Teube.

Teube bird was trapped with her leg entangled in a vine.

Some people passed by and Teube bird asked them to free her leg.

But each one said, oh no, ask the next person.

Finally, when Lata passed by, Te Ube called to him.

When I was a child, I used to go to school, and I used to go to school,

and I used to go to school, and I used to go to school.

As the Lata of his time, Chief Kabea had a vision for his community to build and

sail a new Te Puke.

He asked me for help, and I agreed.

I was honored to join the crew of Lata.

Chief Kavea asked permission before cutting the tree because he knew the

story of Lata.

and he did not want to make the same mistake that Lata did.

While Lata was resting something surprising

happened to his tree.

I don't know what happened.

I don't know what happened.

I don't know what happened.

I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened.

What is your name?

What is your

name?

. .

.

. .

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know what I'm saying.

I don't know what I'm saying.

. . . . .

Hey!

So Lata got his Vaka tree down to the ocean.

But again, he behaved badly.

Then you give him karma Naravanya for blow you in aura for me use him but

blow me for the best one yeah Then he himself in aura me selling go out little

bit Time by me blow me just open him blow you yeah, this one me give him

then you just blow him Hey Lata inside lotte puka in aura stand up Los Angeles

Lata go out go outside lotte veni Then him just blow na yeah If you don't know

how to do it, try to do it, but there's no place for you to do it.

If you don't know how to do it, there's no place for you to do it.

If you don't know how to do it, try to do it, but there's no place for you to

it. If you don't know how to do it, try to do it, but there's no place for you

to do it.

Lada could not come home because he had not learned to behave respectfully.

Now, He had to grow up at sea.

When Chief Kaweah began to teach a new generation how to build and navigate a

teppuke, he also wanted his grandchildren to video the work so that

learn.

In 1998, Kaweah and his crew sailed their new Te Puke from

Kalmakau to the Outer Reef Islands.

The people living on this island are Taumako's closest family and were once

our traditional voyaging partners.

When they saw the work arrive, they were so amazed and they felt a lot of

emotion about Latos' return to Nifiloli.

The people of Nifiloli gave Chief Cabella a roll of red feather money

as a traditional sign of respect and welcome.

The community embraced the crew as family.

Women brought ashore baskets of gift foods from Talmaco.

People rekindled old connections and made new ones.

There I saw a woman I liked very much,

and my parents began to make arrangements for our marriage.

I was really eager to make more voyages.

Maybe he could meet some more wives.

It's been a long time.

It's been a long time.

It's been a long

time.

The younger generation wanted to learn more from their chief and teacher.

But then, Cavea joined the ancestors.

We thought Cavea was the only patient who really knew it all.

Fortunately, some of Cavea's students were eager to test their knowledge.

They did not have Kavea's vast experience at sea, and they were very

themselves, but they were willing to teach what they knew.

Jonas Solani became Aulata.

The new crew will include Kaveh -san, Fox Boda, Jonas

-san, Ambrose, Mickey, Harry Vanossi, and Reginald Yossi.

I did not have as much sailing experience as the others.

So I was so surprised when they invited me to join them.

Lata takes all kinds.

Lata accepts everyone.

Jonas asked me, do you want to come with us?

And I say, yes.

Some people wondered if these new voyaging leaders knew enough to face the

dangers they could meet in the open ocean.

We are trying to find out when this old man died, did the

young generation learn something from him?

Can we sail without him?

When I came home, I was 17 years old.

I was 21 or 22 years old.

When I came home, I cut the tree and it was already dead.

Sometimes I cut the tree and it was already dead.

Under the direction of Chief Jonas,

the community is building a new baka.

The new baka is smaller than a traditional tepuke, but this training

allow a small crew to make a voyage to the far outer reef islands, about 80

nautical miles from Taumako.

When Jonas asked me to join the crew, I was very happy, but

also a little worried.

Our destination, Nifiloli, is where my grandparents died.

Would it be safe for me to go?

Or would the spirit come for me?

It takes a lot of work to mend broken relationships and to build voyaging

vessels.

It can take as long as two years to build one. We would need the help of

everyone in the community working together, men, women, and children.

When Lata sailed out on his tepuke, he was alone.

But he needed a full crew. He would have to learn to walk with others.

But again, he behaved badly.

The young people had to learn how to construct their waka properly.

In the lagoon at Tamako, we have a man -made island named Tahua.

Here my great -uncle, an old voyager, made a small model to show us how the

many parts of the lacquer fit together.

Custom is our identity.

Voyaging holds the culture together, just as lashings hold the vaka together.

We gather coconuts, then we husk them and bury them in the sun.

Their fibers and those of other plants are then twisted to become

cords, ropes and lashings.

The community uses these

lashings to secure the crossbeams.

the outrigger, the deck, and the other parts of the vacca.

The lashings allow flexing between parts of the vacca, so the parts themselves

do not break in heavy seas.

The Vaka embodies Lata.

Sitting on each end of the Vaka, supporting the cell, is Teubebe,

Lata's guide and helper.

The cell represents Lata with his arms stretched over his head to catch the

wind. It is the cannon's engine.

This means that Lata is always with us, moving his children forward across the

sea.

From pandanus, a plant that grows throughout the Pacific,

Taumaku women harvest leaves, trim them, and cut them into strips for weaving

into sails.

Women weave the sail panels and men sew them together.

The women and the men cooperate so the baka will sail well.

Everybody helps to tie the sail to the two booms that support it.

Hello Lalo.

Thank you.

I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know.

In Tamako, the old people, they don't read and write.

They do not stand in the classroom and teach.

To learn how to build a waka, you must see how they do it, and you do it

yourself.

This is how we learn.

The new

waka is completed.

Now Alata has to choose the rest of the crew, and we still have to know what to

do to make a voyage.

If we can sail it, we can become Alata's crew.

I want to learn how Alata navigated. I want to find out what happened to my

family on Nifiloli.

I want to share the navigation system that Chief Kavea showed me.

In the second part of our story, we will land our jobs at sea.

We will begin to navigate the open ocean in our waka or lata.

Now that you have heard part one of this story, you are a member of Lata's crew

too.

Let's go sailing.

Thank you.

God bless you.