A new license plate featuring the Hokule‘a voyaging canoe should available for Big Island drivers later this year.
Gov. David Ige on Thursday signed Senate Bill 60 authorizing each county to issue commemorative license plates supporting the Polynesian Voyaging Society and its mission to promote Malama Honua, or caring to the “Island Earth.”
The first plates are expected to be available for $25 in late August to owners of registered vehicles in the Aloha State. Hawaii County was unable to provide a specific date.
“This is a strong demonstration of support for our mission and for the vision of a planetary renaissance that the state of Hawaii is leading,” said Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) President and Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson. “All of us at PVS are grateful to the Hawaii State Legislature and the Governor for providing us the opportunity to generate revenue to voyage on behalf of Island Earth.”
The preliminary design of the license plate depicts the Hokule‘a, the traditional, double-hulled canoe, at anchor at Kualoa on the windward side of Oahu — the site of its first launch on March 8, 1975.
Hokule‘a has become famous around the globe after taking part in six-year worldwide voyage that began in 2013 under Thompson. During the historic voyage, Hokule‘a and her crew visited more than 150 ports in 18 nations, bringing awareness to the global impacts of climate change.
“The Worldwide Voyage helped all of us to understand the reality of climate change, and why it makes sense for Hawaii to lead the way in creating bold goals such as for clean energy,” said Ige in a press release. “We should all be very proud that Hokule‘a has become a global symbol of how traditional indigenous practice can ignite a common kuleana to protect and care for Island Earth.”
The Polynesian Voyaging Society is set to resume voyaging after a hiatus spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those “crew-training sails” to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia are in preparation for the organization’s next voyage — the Moananuiakea Circumnavigation of the Pacific expected to launch from Alaska in spring 2022.
The 41,000-mile, 42-month circumnavigation of the Pacific will take voyaging canoes Hokule‘a and Hikianalia and 300 crew members to 46 countries and archipelagos, nearly 100 indigenous territories and 345 ports. Planning for the deep sea voyage got underway over two years ago.
Thompson said Ige’s signing of the bill into law is a strong demonstration of support for the nonprofit’s mission.
“The license plate to me is both a symbol of a belief that our crew need to know that Hawaii is with them and it’s also the recognition that funding that’s needed is allowing the mission to be enabled,” said Thompson during the ceremony live streamed from Oahu.
The new plate is the third specialty plate authorized by the state Legislature. In 2015, lawmakers approved plates supporting Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala national parks.
For more information or updates, email PVS at licenseplate@pvshawaii.org.