MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Across Kaneohe Bay, masts stand tall against a backdrop of the mountainous Ko’olau Range as wa’a kaulua cut through the bay to the marina at Marine Corps Base Hawai’i. As the double hulled canoes approached the pier, children rushed to greet them. The children, students at Mokapu Elementary School, started in song together, singing e aloha e, a warm welcome to the crew members. In response, the boats pierced the air with long blasts from shell trumpets made from conch. Representatives of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Hawai’ian elders, and Marine Corps leaders gathered to greet the crews just days before the 13th Festival of the Pacific Arts and Culture being held in Hawai’i. This year’s FestPAC holds particular significance for both MCBH and the State of Hawai’i. This is the first time MCBH has been asked to host the Wa’a Ceremony, kicking off the FestPAC Wa’a Festival. It is also a historic moment for Hawai’i who is hosting the Oceanic event for the first time since the inaugural FestPAC held in 1972 in Fiji.
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