In April 2017 I had the great experience of another Duffy Books (Books in Homes) tour and this time, unexpectedly, to the very far north. I say unexpectedly because I live in the South Island and that was as far as they could send me, although the Chatham Islands would possibly be further and a place I would love to visit.
In rural schools and in Kaikohe, Kaitaia and Opononi, I spoke to children about the value of reading, about their developing interests and of my passion for New Zealand history before reading to them a selected chapter from my book ” ‘Avaiki Tautau – Homeland Beneath the Stars.” I had to field many great questions before handing out to them their free books provided by the Duffy Foundation.
In Kaitaia I was told about a local man, Hekenukumai Busby, I was encouraged to meet, who had started a school of celestial navigation at his home in Doubtless Bay. I had known of him and because I had to spend the weekend in Kaitaia, I decided to contact him.
I had a great Sunday afternoon with him and now wish I had met him before writing ‘Avaiki Tautau as his knowledge would’ve added considerably to the narrative. On his property are two double – hulled waka “Te Aurere” and “Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti” that he has carved, built and sailed on replica ocean voyages, using the ancient celestial navigation skills he has and has taught. “Te Aurere” sailed to Hawaii, The Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Norfolk Island. “Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti” to Rapanui (Easter Island)
On Hekenukumai’s property is a huge compass which is a huge circle of 32 star points constructed on a level field 50 metres or so from his house. Each point is represented by a carved figure on a post with the tops of their heads perfectly levelled with each other. From a swivelled seat at the exact centre of the circle, the tops of each head appear exactly level with the ocean horizon beyond to the north. To the south there are hills but the headtops in that direction indicate clearly where the ocen horizon would be.
The prospective wayfinder / navigator can sit in this circle and learn to memorise each of these points and the stars that are associated with them at different times of the year and at different times of the night. The wayfinder can also imagine standing behind the mast of a waka and knowing which of the points should align themselves on either side if the vessel is on the desired heading.
I sat there for some time trying to get at least a sense of this. It was inspiring to say the least.
What Hekenukumai, who is now in his eighties, has begun to engender in Aotearoa is very impressive and his knowledge will continue and spread and the great art will not be lost.
But he himself owes this to another man who may have been the last master celestial navigator in all of the Pacific – Mau Piailug of Satawai in the Carolinian Islands of Micronesia. Hekenukumai Busby was inspired by this man’s voyage, navigating the “Hokule’a” from Hawaii to Tahiti in 1976.
Check this out….it is a really impressive story
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mau_Piailug
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5996/hekenukumai-busby
Keith Tonkin 7/6/17
PS Hekenukumai Busby has now passed away but not before he was honoured with a well deserved knighthood presented by the Governor General not in Welllington as the Viceroy had planned but in Waitangi as Sir Hekenukumai requested because he knew those large grounds would be needed to cater for the large crowds that would wish to attend. He was right, a huge crowd gathered including all the top dignitaries of Aotearoa – New Zealand including the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Maori members of her government.
This features on a recently completed documentary on Sir Hekenukumai Busby’s life “Whetu Marama -Bright Star” available on You Tube.
Keith Tonkin 6th May 2023
Keith Tonkin 