Hokule’a. Photo by Jason Patterson / Facebook

A traditional Native Hawaiian canoe is on a three-year mission to raise awareness about climate change.

The Hokule’a, which means Star of Gladness in Hawaiian, will travel more than 60,000 nautical miles around the globe, relying primarily on Native methods of navigation. That means no GPS, Google Maps, watches, clocks or similar devices unless they are absolutely necessary.

“If we can navigate without them, we will,” Jenna Ishii, an apprentice on the canoe, told The New York Times. “But if the weather compromises us, or it becomes an issue of speed, we will use instruments.”

Nainoa Thompson, the president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, is leading the 13-member expedition. The group launched its first Native canoe in 1976, traveling 2,500 nautical miles from Hawaii to Tahiti without the aid of modern devices.

Get the Story:
A Hawaiian Canoe Crosses the Oceans, Guided by Sun and Stars (The New York Times 11/3)