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Announcement: 17 October, 2009
Our aloha and condolences go out to family and friends of Paramount Chief
Koloso Kaveia, founder of the Vaka Taumako Project, who recently passed away
at his home. During his long and remarkable life, he touched many people in
many parts of the world. In Solomon Islands, Germany, New Zealand, Hawai`i,
England, Vanuatu, California, Fiji, and Japan live those who cherish his
memory.
As befits someone with a wide network of acquaintances, Kaveia was known by
many names; "old man", "The Chief" ("Chief" for short), navigator, helmsman,
etc. For us, however, he was and always will be "Te Matua", our father.
Tributes to Kaveia
I remember in 2000 when Te Matua was saying goodbye to everyone at the Kauai airport,
he had tears in his eyes. I remember his warm welcome when I landed on the beach
on Taumako in 2008. I remember, because that's how he was.
– Larry Williamson
President, the Pacific Traditions Society
I pay a big tribute to Paramount Chief Koloso Kaveia, his longtime
effort to conserve the original Polynesian traditional navigation
and seafaring culture. But we know that ancient seafaring knowledge
of Polynesia is there to stay in Taumako now. No one can say it was
lost.
I have been involved in the project to revive the traditional
knowledge to use and preserve the SATOYAMA (forest beside
habitation) in my own town Inagi since last year. Therefore I
couldn't do any support for VTP. But I never forget you. I will do
something for the dream of Chief Kaveia someday.
– Kato Kosei, PhD
Part-time lecturer in Rikkyo University, Tokyo (Sociology / Minority Studies)
Official translator of the 2007 Hokule`a Voyage to Micronesia and Japan
Secretary of the Inagi Minamiyama Residential Satoyama Commons Society
If you would like to express your thoughts about the life of Paramount Chief Koloso Kaveia,
send an email to Larry Williamson
larryw@hawaiian.net.
Your thoughts will be published here.
Only your name will be shown, no other personal info such as your email
address will be included without your permission. We encourage you to give us
permission to publish your title, affiliations, etc. that may be of interest
to our readers. If you wish to have such personal information included, please
state that in your email.
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