Photos by Linny Folau

Twenty-five hand made canoes (popao in Tongan) were on display for King Tupou VI at HMAF Masefield Navy Base today, July 7.

The King joined his sister Princess Pilolevu Tuita to view the canoes and met the 81-year-old canoe builder Tui’one Pulotu, at the pier.

Tui'one, a renowned Hawaiian based Tongan canoe builder and woodcarver, is a Living Treasures of Hawaii [2] award recipient, who is currently in Tonga, and unable to return to Hawaii due to the closure of borders.

Director for Culture and Heritage Division at the Ministry of Tourism, Pulupaki Moala Ika said this event was one of the activities to celebrate the King’s Birthday, officially marked on July 4.

There were no festivities due to the pandemic, but because the Ministry’s mandate is to preserve and maintain traditional knowledge they collaborated with master carver Tui’one, on how to make and use the popao.

"We utilized his time as he always has such great passion to serve the King and people. He wanted to have this event and present one of his canoes as a gift to the King."

The Ministry is planning is to liaise with the Ministry of Education and Training to have students from primary and secondary schools watch how to make and use canoes, at the Tonga National Cultural Center, she said.

“Our main goal is preserve and maintain how we make popao, as it is part of our traditional knowledge.”

Tui’one and his helpers built the canoes using local materials.

After moving to Hawaii in 1960 Tui’one has created many prominent works. He was the principal builder for the Polynesian Cultural Center’s (PCC) Hawaiian Village, which included pili grass thatching roofs (once a lost art form), crafted canoes from Polynesian societies, tiki carvings and other wood works.

In 1964, he assisted in completing a duplicate Kamehameha statue displayed in Washington DC.

In 1999, he was commissioned to build a 105-foot-long canoe ‘Mileniume’ for King Tupou IV and in 2000, he was commissioned to build a 57-foot-long Wa’a Kaulua Hawaiian canoes ‘Iosepa’ for Brigham Young University– Hawai'i's Jonathan Napela Center for Hawaiian Language and Culture.

In Tonga, Tui’one said he made the two tigers that are on display at the entrance of Tufumahina Royal residence.

Meanwhile, local master carver Steven Fehoko joined this event with his 41-ft whale shaped vessel Matamoana.

After viewing the canoes, the King left for 'Eua on the VOEA Ngahau Koula.