Vaka Taumako Project (VTP) of

Pacific Traditions Society (PTS) of Hawai`i

working as a consultant for

Holau Vaka Taumako Association (HVTA)

of Solomon Islands

For Voyaging Education

Pacific Traditions Society (PTS) is a small non-profit organization with educational purpose, based in the USA. The Vaka Taumako Project (VTP) was the idea of Te Aliki Koloso Kaveia of Taumako. He needed outside help, so he asked Mimi George. In 1996 the VTP started, as a research project permitted by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources of Solomon Islands. PTS was the responsible non-governmental organization (NGO), and Mimi George was Principal Investigator. The VTP was led by Koloso Kaveia, with support of PTS.

After Te Aliki Kaveia died in 2009, Te Aliki Jonas Holani led training young people in voyaging arts, supported by the VTP of PTS. In 2021 Luke Vaikawi and about 98% of Taumako community registered the Holau Vaka Taumako Association Trustees, Inc, (HVTA) as a charitable organization in Solomon Islands with Luke Vaikawi as Executive Director. The HVTA charter includes the original mission and goals of VTP, but is a completely independent NGO. In 2017 the VTP of PTS ended in Solomon Islands, but continues to exist as a 501c3 of USA, and continues to assist educational voyaging programs of HVTA as the VTP of PTS.

VTP MISSION

Help Holau Vaka Taumako Association efforts to:

Train new generations to build, sail, and navigate

using ancestral designs, methods, materials & tools

Document and publish ancient knowledge

Become a self-supporting organisation by 2026

GOALS

Build, sail, and navigate ancestral voyaging canoes using ancient designs, methods, and materials.
Accommodate Taumako Traditional Culture and Voyaging School (TTCVS) in a canoe-house structure (Halevaka) that shelters vessels, students, internet communications, video documentation, weaving work, and an archive.
Complete digitizing the imagery and written materials VTP has gathered, and provide to the archive of TTCVS of Taumako as soon as safe storage is in place.
Document and publish information about voyaging knowledge, including books, videos, multi-media products and displays.
Make cultural exchange programs and alliances that promote awareness of, and support for, ancient voyaging skills, including skills of building peaceful relationships and making reconciliations when problems arise.
Protect intellectual property rights and intangible heritage of Taumako people. All photos, video, film, audio recordings, technological designs, and artwork, are intellectual property of Taumako people as agreed in original VTP permit and various MOUs.
Direct any and all financial profits to Holau Vaka Taumako Association, and help HVTA fundraise in 2025.

Plan and act sustainably with care for environment, food security, and bio- diversity.
Re-establish inter-island voyaging partnerships and ancestral voyaging networks within SE Solomons, No. Vanuatu, and throughout Oceania.

Help HVTA become self-supporting. Needs include: training in grant record-keeping, book-keeping, and accounting, fundraising, report writing, program planning, social media, and coordinating students and visitors to attend TTCVS and to make voyages

Continue artist Kyle MacDonaldʻs research program "Te Lapa: Polynesian Navigation Illuminated". Use of experimental cameras to video Te Lapa (interrupted by COVID) to continue in Solomon Islands, Fiji, and other islands.

​