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Our He Hawaiʻi Au program provides cultural presentations, static displays, and actual short-day sails for schools or interested community groups at no charge.  For more information on how to schedule a presentation or canoe experience contact us here.

                      March15,2024
Nakoa Foundation Seamanship Experience

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Three middle School Students from the Innovations Charter School participated in the Nakoa Foundation's Seamanship Experience aboard the double hull canoe Kinikini.  In addition to learning boat handling techniques, safety equipment such as use of emergency beacons, Life Vest and Rescue Rings was reviewed.  They also learned "Man Overboard" procedures, how to deal with a Vessel Taking on Water, Fire Response and how to transmit a Coast Guard distress signal. This was our third Seamanship Activity with the Innovations Charter School this year.

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Ku I Ka Wa'a Festival  March 6, 2024

Nā Peʻa Instructor Nahaku Kalei and Nakoa Foundation Board Member Lauren Nakoa conducted a presentation on the Nā Peʻa Program at the Ku I Ka Waʻa Festival sponsored by Kanu O Ka Aina Charter School in Waimea. Attending middle school and High School students were taught the names of the various parts of the traditional Hawaiian Canoe.

Nakoa Foundation Youth Seamanship Experience
             Feb 23, 2024

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The Nakoa Foundation with its partnership with Eka Canoe Adventures held its Second Youth Seamanship experience in 2024 with a day sail on Kinikini out of Keauhou Bay. He Hawai'i Au Instructor Chayden Baker taught Five Middle School students from the Innovations Charter School in Kona how to handle the dock lines and sail lines of Kinikini along with basic boat  handling skills. 

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Kanu Ko'a Restoration Project Kealakekua Bay
                       Feb 25, 2024

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The Nakoa Foundation was invited by the Nature Conservancy and the State Department of Land and Natural Resources to assist in their Kanu Ko'a project at Kealakekua Bay.  This project works to restore damaged Coral Reefs by taking dislodged coral chunks, cutting them up into smaller pieces and re-attaching them to the existing coral reef. This is the second time the Nakoa Foundation has participated in this effort.  The original effort was conducted at Kaupulehu.  Nā Peʻa and He Hawaiʻi Au instructor Kalani Nakoa, He Hawai'i Au instructor Chayden Baker and Nakoa Foundation Board Member Lauren Nakoa spear headed this effort.  Mahalo to the Eka Canoe Adventures Crew for running Kinikini on this project. Over a hundred community members from South Kona attended and partcipated in this effort. Video provided by DLNR

Nakoa Foundation Youth Seamanship Experience
             Feb 9, 2024

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The Nakoa Foundation with its partnership with Eka Canoe Adventures held its first Youth Seamanship experience in 2024 with a day sail on Kinikini out of Keauhou Bay. Five Middle School students from the Innovations Charter School in Kona learned how to handle the dock lines and sail lines of Kinikini along with basic boat  handling skills. This was the first session of a multi session experience.

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Nakoa Foundation and Eka Canoe Adventures help with Coral Restoration at Kaūpulehu Oct 30 2023

On October 30, 2023, The Nature Conservancy, Hawai‘i  (TNC) and the Kaūpūlehu Marine Life Advisory Committee (KMLAC) launched Kanu Ko‘a (“Planting Corals”), the first community-led coral reef restoration project on the Island of Hawaii.

 Ko‘a pieces were brought to shore on waa Kinikini, a double-hulled canoe. Together, the team used specialized saws to cut the collected pieces into 1-inch fragments. Scuba divers transported the pieces back into the Bay and affixed them to the reef with epoxy. All work with ko‘a is being conducted under a Special Activities Permit with the State Division of Aquatic Resources.

SEE FULL TNC PRESS RELEASE

Seamanship Apprentice Class October-November 2023

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The Nakoa Foundation in Partnership with Eka Canoe Adventures held an 8-week Marine Career Explorations class with Middle school students of the Innovations Charter School.  Six students ages 12 to 15 years old learned the mechanics of small boat handling aboard the double-hull canoe Kinikini. Sailing out of Keauhou Bay students learned how to operate the crab claw sail along with how to maneuver the canoe using an outboard engine. They learned how to dock and tie up the canoe to the pier along with safely setting an anchor. They also experienced working a "dry dock". This was in addition to the practice of "Kilo". (Making detailed  weather and sea observations in preparation for their day sail. ) 

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Aug 12 and 13, 2023  Pu'ukoholā National Park Cultural Festival in Kawaihae . Provided canoe rides for festival attendees off of Pelekane Beach.

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Nakoa Foundation's Seamanship Apprenticeship Class  April-May 2023

 Five 12-15 year old Students from the Innovations Charter School completed an 8-week seamanship enrichment class aboard the double canoe Kinikini where students learned boat handling skills in both motorized operations and under sail.

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Kaloko Honokohau National Park
         Makahiki Festaval                                       November 17-18, 2022

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Over 150 Fourth Grade Students from Kealakehe, Konawaena, and HPA attended the festival.  The canoe Moana from the Nā Peʻa program was on display.

Kiniki hosts Innovations Charter School on March 11, 2022

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Kinikini hosted 7 Eighth graders on a historical sail from Keauhou Bay to the Kuamoʻo Battle Field where the battle between Kuaokalaniʻs forces and Liholihoʻs forces fought over the overthrow of the Kapu system following the death of Kamehameha I.

Kinikini Hosts Students from  the Charter School Kokua Academy                                                    February 11, 2022

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Kinikini hosted 15 students from the Charter School Kokua Academy ranging in grade levels from Kindergarten to 6th Grade.  This excursion was part of their study of Oceans and the Maritime Industry.   The wind was moderate and sailing was excellent.  Sailing out of Keauhou Bay they were able to see a few whales breaching in the distance.

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The Nakoa Foundation Teams up with the Kua O Ka Lā Public Chater School's, Hīpuʻu program, at Keauhou Bay  November 18, 2021

Nakoa Foundation hosted the Miloliʻi unit of the Kua O Ka Lā Hīpuʻu program at Keauhou Bay. The  24 attending students (ages between 6 and 16) learned about the environmental threats to Konaʻs shore line from Marine Biologist Lauren Nakoa. They also learned to weave coconut leaves and were taken out on a sea excursion on the double hulled canoe Kinikini where the History of Keauhou was explained along with the operational techniches of sailing a double hulled canoe.

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Nakoa Foundation and Going Home Hawaii Hawaiian Canoe Class

April, 2021

The Nakoa Foundation provided a 10 hour  class over five days sharing the physical and cultural elements that make the Hawaiian Canoe Unique with clients of the Going Home Hawaii community re-integration program in Kona.

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Nakoa Foundation and Going Home Hawaii Hawaiian Canoe Class

Nov 25, Dec 2,9,16-2020

The Nakoa Foundation provided a 10 hour  class over four days sharing the physical and cultural elements that make the Hawaiian Canoe Unique with clients of the Going Home Hawaii community re-integration program in Kona.

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Jackʻs Diving Locker and Nakoa Foundation teamed up for Covid-19 school enrichment program.

Sept 6, 2020

The Nakoa Foundation teamed up with Jackʻs Diving Locker under a County of Hawaii grant obtained by the Makanai Kai Foundation of Kona to provide student activities between September and December 2020 in response to the reduced school hours due to Covid 19.  Students attended training sessions onboard Hawaiian Double canoe Kinikini and catamaran Noanoa to explored the ocean and lands between Kailua and Keauhou in Kona.  Each session was 5 days long and open free of charge to 8 to 18 year olds.

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Nā Peʻa produces video on

What makes a canoe Hawaiian

July 4, 2020

Nā Peʻa crew member Nikko Allen narrated

a video on the unique features of the Hawaiian Canoe

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