Wayfinding Festival 2021 Recap
On November 13th and 14th, 2021, ʻImiloa Astronomy Center celebrated its 14th annual Wayfinding Festival. This year’s festival honored the late Navigator-in-Resident and Pwo Navigator, Kālepa Baybayan, who developed ʻImiloa’s very first Wayfinding Festival in 2008. This year’s event included Polynesian voyaging displays, an array of wayfinding-themed crafts, educational garden activities, and guest presentations by waʻa (canoe) navigators and crew members.
Stars play a vital part in traditional Polynesian wayfinding, and the fall-winter navigational starline, Kalupeakawelo, was a highlight in the crafts offered throughout the center. Visitors of all ages gained insight on the story of Kalupeakawelo (Kawelo’s kite) with crafts that engaged keiki and ʻohana to “thread” through its sequence of stars and create their own kite. “I most enjoyed the organization, efficiency of staff, and the overall experience of ʻImiloa,” says one of the festival attendees. “I am always pleased with my visit.” Other crafts were similarly enjoyed, including custom shrinky dink earring-making, in which visitors decorated a ʻiwa patterned template and watched their creation shrink to size!
“Despite availability regulations made to accommodate current COVID-19 health and safety protocols, we were happy to be able to offer a safe outlet to enjoy our wayfinding content,” says Executive Director Kaʻiu Kimura. “We extend a huge mahalo to the 250+ individuals who attended this year’s Wayfinding Festival and look forward to hosting more kamaʻāina and visitors alike in the future!” Stay tuned for upcoming events at imiloahawaii.org.