Reawakened: Traditional Navigators of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa

by Jeff Evans

This book features interviews with 10 master navigators who trained under Mau Piailug (1932-2010), the legendary teacher of traditional, non-instrument wayfinding methods for open-ocean voyaging across the Pacific. They were given the status of master navigator by Mau through the Pwo ceremony, and went on to become an integral part of the renaissance of knowledge and traditions around voyaging. The ten navigators include three from Aotearoa New Zealand, Hec Busby, Piripi Evans, and Jack Thatcher; two from the Cook Islands, Peia Patai, Teuatakiri Tearutua Arthur (Tua) Pittman; and five from Hawai`i, Nainoa Thompson, Chad Kalepa Baybayan, Shorty Bertelmann, Bruce Blankenfeld and Chad `Onohi Paishon.

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Jeff Evans is a writer and photographer based in Auckland. He has written several books relating to waka, including Ngā Waka o Neherā, Polynesian Navigation and the Discovery of New Zealand and Waka Taua: The Maori War Canoe. Between them, these books recall Māori migration traditions, describe navigation skills used by Māori to voyage between the islands in the central Pacific and New Zealand, and introduce the reader to waka taua.

Jeff is currently working as a library assistant at Auckland Museum, and pursuing his joy of photography.

bio from his publisher

Reviews

[Karel Baloun · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's important that primary sources of critical cultural events (like these ocean voyages with traditional methods) are compiled and published. I have no doubt that jeff evans is an accurate, authentic scribe. I felt the key characters were well developed, unfortunately after they had died, but before photographic evidence and vivid memories from their circle had faded.

I would have wished for more about the actual sailing technique, and perhaps other tools, ceremonies and protocols. Also while objective events and relationships have been recorded, down to personality traits and some interaction stories, the volume suffers from a paucity of internal, subjective experiences, of the type that could have existed in personal voyage diaries and could have been related to emotions or even halucinations during these impressive voyages. I wonder what is missing, and could have been uniquely documented, if Evans had asked more probing creative questions.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting for more information about how this form of navigation works. Instead this is a history book about the resurgence of traditional navigation in Te-Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa. Very enjoyable read.