Letter From The Editor

It is hard to believe that the Hokulea almost never came to be.

When it was first built in the 1970s, they couldn’t find anyone who could navigate it in the way that Polynesians traditionally had. Luckily, the Polynesian Voyaging Society found a navigator in Micronesia, Mau Piailug, who agreed to teach others the skills that had been passed down to him through generations.

And now, as we all know, the canoe is on its worldwide voyage. Among the participants along that voyage are a group of young adults who have been training for years as apprentice navigators — learning how to navigate just by looking at the stars, or at a swell — so that this skillset will never be on the verge of extinction again. One of them, Austin Kino, has participated in three legs of the journey so far and currently has a photo exhibit up at treehouse, as well as an upcoming lecture at The Modern Honolulu regarding his work on Hokulea. For more on Kino and to find out what life is like for a navigator, read on.

And speaking of traveling to share knowledge and skills, Azure chef Shaymus Alwin is on his way to serve as a guest chef at James Beard House in New York City next month. You can learn more about Shaymus — and find out how you can get a taste of the menu he’s planning for James Beard House without going out of town — here.

In other news, we also are very pleased to introduce a new comic, Little Husky, by our very talented Nicholas Smith. See below for the inaugural installment, and check back every week for more about this adorable pup.