Team members
WILL BE ADDED AS SOON AS someone has the time to to do that!
Te Aliki Koloso Kaveia (deceased 2009)
The late Paramount Chief and Master Navigator of Taumako, Originator and Creator of the Vaka Taumako Project
Known by many names, Te Matua, Te Aliki, or simply Old Man Kaveia, Kruso Kahia Kaveia was born at Kahula, Taumako; the birthplace as his ancestral father, Polynesian culture hero, Lata. A voyager from the age of 8, and having learned navigation from his father, Kaveia sailed the Santa Cruz Group for twenty years during an era when many voyaging canoes were confiscated by missionary and colonial authorities. Kaveia was Mate on a trading scow that ranged between northern Santa Cruz Islands and Port Vila, Vanuatu during the early 40’s through WWII. In 1980 he led building a TePuke and navigated from Taumako to the western border of Solomon Islands. For many years, Te Aliki Kaveia was the last able-bodied link to the voyaging culture of the Duff and Reef Islands Polynesians. In 1993 he recruited Dr. George’s help to realize his plan to teach a new generation how to build and sail voyaging canoes using the ancient methods. He passed away in 2009 at the estimated age 98.
Te Aliki Jonas Hollani (deceased 2022)
Taumako leader and supporter of the work of Te Aliki Kaveia
Te Aliki Jonas learned to build voyaging canoes from his father and uncles. Jonas was foreman for Kaveia in building TePuke and Te Alo Lili designs, and practiced steering and seagoing with him on various voyages. Te Aliki Holani became Captain of voyages and teaching after Kaveia died. Te Aliki Holani led in training more crew and taking longer voyages. In his late 80Ê»s he tried his best to lead and teach. His ready sense of humor was greatly appreciated by all. Jonas and his wife, Janet Longomaha, raised 4 sons. Dixon and Ambrose crewed on voyages of TePuke and TeAlo Lili Holau canoes. Jonas’ grandmother was the mother of 3 children who went away to school in Vanuatu almost 70 years ago, and Jonas never saw them again. Despite years of delays because of climate change Jonas wanted Holau Vaka Taumako Association to sail to Vanuatu to reunite with their long-lost family members who went there in the 1960Ê»s. Te Aliki Holani was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award of Pasifika Renaissance on Facebook.
Captain Luke Vaikawi
Executive Director of Holau Vaka Taumako Association. Captain.
Luke Vaikawi was born and raised on Taumako. He attended secondary boarding school and Maritime Academies of Solomon Islands and Australia. For 25 years Vaikawi served in the Maritime Police, captaining the patrol boat Lata, chasing illegal fishing boats, searching for lost mariners, keeping the peace, leading development of international safety and rescue operations in the Pacific region.
In 1995-96 he helped his grandfather, Kaveia, start the Vaka Taumako Project. In the photo above Vaikawi stands between long-lost relatives he visited at Vanualava Island in Vanuatu. In 2019 Luke retired from the Marine Police and became Executive Director of VVA. Then Luke and 99% of Taumako community members quit the VVA and created the Holau Vaka Taumako Association. Luke is the elected as Executive Director of HVTA, and actively leads planning and execution of HVTA programmes, working closely with the HVTA Board of Directors. Luke coordinates the massive transportation and communications logistics between Taumako, Honiara, and the United States and other international offices. Vaikawi has made presentations in Guam and the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the USA. In 2018 Luke crewed on the TePuke voyage from Ndeni to Vanikoro. In 2024-2025 Vaikawi led the building of canoe houses and a Te Alo Holau vessel. They were blessed in October, 2025 with many regional and international partners and supporters of HVTA present. In 2026 Vaikawi will train youth to make voyages so that eventually partnerships and networks can be revived throughout Temotu, other Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and to PNG, Fiji, and beyond.
Marianne “Mimi” George, Ph.D
Co-founder of Pacific Traditions Society, Sailor, Anthropologist, Emeritus Director
Dr. Mimi George is an anthropologist, sailor, and writer specialized in voyaging cultures. She documented voyaging traditions of islanders in New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Siberian Yupik Eskimos in Alaska and USSR. Her research voyages included use of ancient polar technology, and the 19th century European technique of wintering-over by freezing a sailboat in the sea-ice of Antarctica. She supports building vessels and making voyages using ancient technology, materials, tools, and navigation methods.. While Te Aliki Kaveia was alive, Mimi made 25 inter-island voyages in the Santa Cruz Islands, and one voyage from Duffs through Vanuatu, with him navigating or following his sailing directions. She helped KaveiaÊ»s grandchildren create films as Kaveia requested (We, the Voyagers: LataÊ»s Children), wrote articles about KaveiaÊ»s teachings, and since 2022 consulted with HVTA and other group working to revive education of youth in ancestral voyaging knowledge and culture. George now aims to complete the book “Sailing with Lata” in 2026.
Heu’ionalani "Meph" Wyeth
Permanent Secretary of Pacific Tradition Society
A Director of the Ka’imi Na’auao o Hawaii Nei Institute, pottery conservator on archaeological digs, and paddler extraordinaire, Meph helped start the Vaka Taumako Project and has been Permanent Secretary since it started in 1996. She studied hula and Hawaiian language and culture with Kumu Hula Roselle Keliihonipua Bailey of Maui since 1985. Ka’Imi Na’auao o Hawaii Nei Institute was founded By Roselle Bailey for the preservation and teaching of Hawaiian culture. Meph performed Hawaiian protocol with Kumu Bailey at the 1997 launching of the first Te Puke of the Vaka Taumako Project. Meph continues to compose, perform, and write about the Vaka Taumako Project, as a Director of Pacific Traditions Society and in support of Vaka Valo Association.
Te Aliki Peter Taea (deceased 2019)
the late Navigator and Chief
An experienced navigator, based on Nifiloli Island. From 1998 - 2019, Peter used his mental library of maritime wisdom, and leadership, helping Taumako and Vaeakau crews with canoe-building.and set an high standard for crew work during inter-island voyages within Outer Reef Islands . Peter and his helpers took care of the Te Alo Lili when it was left on Nifiloli during the off-season of 2012 and 2013. Peterʻs positive, committed, and no-BS manner was appreciated by all. He is greatly missed.
Larry Williamson (deceased 2016)
Former President and Web Designer (deceased)
President of VTP for more than 10 years, our dear friend Williamson designed the original vaka.org website, and helped in the production of VTP’s early video efforts. Williamson gave training to Dixon Wia, Jennifer Vailau, and other video students from Taumako. Williamson visited Taumako in 2007. He said it was the fulfillment of his dream to just lie in a fishing net swing and see the adults building canoes and the children learning how. His kindness and acuity was appreciated by all cross-culturally. His son Arlen is a great paddler in Hawaii. Williamsons wife Helen is now living with Arlen and family, and proudly wears the shell necklace that Chief Jonas presented her with in gratitude for her feeding and caring for his son Dixon when he was visiting KauaÊ»i. Williamson passed away in 2012. We all miss him.
Jacob Penchansky
Multimedia Producer, Filmmaker, Sound Recordist, volunteered for VTP and VVA radio and film projects between 2005 and 2018. Continues to contribute and advise when called on. Will continue to do ethnomusical recordings and video productions.
Jacob produced, directed, wrote, recorded, and edited much of We, the Voyagers films. He worked closely with many Taumako and Vaeakau community members. JacobÊ»s radio stories and audio recordings have been broadcast on National Public Radio, PRI’s “The World,” the Nature Conservancy Podcast, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, and Outer Voices. Jacob has recorded traditional musicians in more than 30 countries. He’s a contributing writer for the Rough Guide to World Music, has helped preserve audio recordings for Easter Island’s Museo Anthropológico, guided BBC radio production crews through Southeast Asia, documented endangered native languages in Alaska, created films for various aid organizations, built radio stations and trained journalists and folklorists throughout south and southeast Asia. Jacob is the producer and director of the award-winning film The Mountain Music Project: A Musical Odyssey from Appalachia to Himalaya and oversees the Mountain Music Project’s musical education projects in Nepal, Burma, Thailand, and Bhutan.
Te Aliki Fox Boda
Captain, Navigator, Steersman
Chief Kaveia’s son, Fox is an heir to the great voyaging tradition of his ancestors. Fox mastered the difficult skill of adzing out inside the ends of the main hull of voyaging canoes. In 2000 Fox and his son’s sailed the Te Puke named Vaka Taumako back from Pileni to Duffs. One ne’er do well had spread rumors that this canoe had rotted on Nifiloli and would never sail again. But Fox led maintenance of the vaka and sailed it back to Taumako. As they passed the area where false rumors had been spread he yelled “Here is your rotten vaka!” Fox makes fine models of Te Puke for for sale. He continues to lead his children, grandchildren and extended family in construction of Te Alo and Te Puke vessels. Fox and Barnabas Bolami supervised HVTA students in building a Te Alo Holau during 2025. During 2026 that will be a training vessel for the Taumako Voyaging and Culture School of HVTA. During 2026 Barnabas Bolami plans to help HVTA begin building a Te Puke and 6 Te Alo Folau (small outriggers).
Dixon Holland Wia
Cameraman, Producer, script-writer, Narrator, assistant editor, voyaging crew, during 1996 - 2018.
A crew member on the Vaka Taumako Project’s first voyage in 1998, Dixon Wia Holland met his wife-to-be on arrival in Nifiloi. He and Emily have five children, and all of them seem to have
Hollands “gotcha” sense of humor. Holland showed an aptitude for videography and received basic video training in Hawaii in 1999 with Larry Williamson of the Pacific Traditions Society. Holland learned most from the VTP media master Jacob Penchansky, and made translations of the 2012 and 2013 recordings. He assisted BBC videographer Wade Fairley during two voyaging programs, and was a narrator and assistant editor in the first two of the We, the Voyager films. He is no longer filming.