Cook Islands Voyaging Society Explained

The Cook Islands Voyaging Society (CIVS) is a non-profit organisation in the Cook Islands dedicated to the promotion of Polynesian navigation, cultural ancestry, and environmental knowledge for future generations.[1] It builds and sails replicas of traditional double-hulled voyaging canoes, undertaking voyages throughout Polynesia using traditional navigation techniques.

The society was established in 1992, and formally incorporated in 1993.[2] It was initially led by former Cook Islands prime Minister Tom Davis. In 1994, Davis led the design and construction of the society's first replica voyaging canoe, Te Au o Tonga.[2] Te Au o Tonga was later used by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea as a model for a group of fiberglass-hulled replicas, including Marumaru Atua.[2] Marumaru Atua was gifted to the society in 2014.[3]

Since 2018, the society has collaborated with NGO Korero te Orau to run a school holiday program on traditional voyaging and vaka knowledge.[4]

In December 2019 the society was featured in an exhibit at the Cook Islands National Museum on the revival of voyaging in the Cook Islands.[5] In 2022 the society celebrated its 30th anniversary.[6]

In September 2022 the society partnered with woodcarver Mike Tavioni for the Te Mana O te Vaka boat building and sailing project, to construct six double-hulled vaka using traditional methods.[7]

The society is funded by the Cook Islands government, international NGOs, and public donations.[1] [8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Cook Islands Voyaging Society Strategic Plan 2018-2023 . Cook Islands Voyaging Society . 7 . 18 August 2020.
  2. Web site: History of Voyaging . Cook Islands Voyaging Society . 18 August 2020 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200804084222/https://www.cookislandsvoyaging.org/featured/history-of-voyaging/ . 4 August 2020.
  3. Web site: Marumaru Atua . Okeanos Foundation for the Sea . 29 July 2020.
  4. Web site: 'We are all in the same boat' . Cook Islands News . 25 January 2020 . 18 August 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200129034502/http://cookislandsnews.com/features/weekend/item/75699-we-are-all-in-the-same-boat . 29 January 2020.
  5. Web site: Voyaging history on show . Melina Etches . Cook Islands News . 18 December 2019 . 18 August 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200127150432/http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/culture/item/75336-voyaging-history-on-show . 27 January 2020.
  6. Web site: Celebrating 30 years of raising awareness of Polynesian voyaging . Cook Islands News . 6 August 2022 . 7 August 2022.
  7. Web site: Reviving traditional vaka building . Cook Islands News . Melina Etches . 21 September 2022 . 22 September 2022.
  8. Web site: Cook Islands vaka secures nearly $NZ500,000 in funding . RNZ . 10 December 2018 . 18 August 2020.