"The Navigators" at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak - pix from a great evening!

Deb, Terri, and John-Mario, who made this excellent evening happen (I helped too but just a little bit!)

What a fun night at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak's last Rivertalk in 2015. Deb Kuupuaonaona McCue was the organizer for this one, for which the main event was a screening of Sam Low's excellent documentary The Navigators, preceded by a welcoming chant and then a hula lesson by John-Mario from Halawai and followed by a little more talking story about the Hokule'a, the continuing adventures of the Hokulea Crew (slated to arrive in NYC in June 2016 as part of their around-the-world Malama Honua trip), and how the success of the Hokule'a led to a renaissance of Hawaiian culture. Fantastic evening, I'm so glad I could make it! Great seeing so many friends from the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club!

Terri and Deb made delicious Island-kine snacks - including spam musubi! Yes!

Friends from the YPRC sample the goodies

Deb and John-Mario greet the crowd

John-Mario sings 'Ano'ai, a song of thanks sung by a guest to their host.

Next, John-Mario taught us the hula Ke Ao Nani, a simple seated hula that speaks of the beautiful things of the earth. Up above...

The birds of the air

Here below

The flowers of the earth (that, btw, was the exact line I referred to in my Na Pua O Ka Honua post a few years back, I'd been taught this hula at the Bishop Museum during my 25th reunion visit)

In the sea, the fish of the ocean

In the mountains, the trees of the forest.

After this the movie was shown, and it's wonderful. I'm thrilled that director Sam Low has given me permission to do one screening on his behalf at Sebago; our boatbuilding committee is going to LOVE it, ok, everybody will, but especially the boatbuilders - maybe our next boat will be a proa! 

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Afterwards, a couple of tries at blowing the Pu (conch shell trumpet) that Deb brought from home.

Jolly old St. Sturgeon-fish, lean your fins this way!

Deb, John-Mario, Terri, and me.