Washington, D.C. (May 15, 2016) — U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) joined hundreds at the Old Town Alexandria Waterfront Park on May 15 to welcome the Hōkūle’a as it came down the Potomac River to Washington, D.C. The congresswoman toured the Hōkūle’a, welcomed the crew and all those present for the arrival ceremony, and enjoyed music and dance presented by local hālaus and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland.
“It was wonderful to see so many people from Hawaiʻi and the Pacific come together to welcome the historic Hōkūle’a to our nation’s capital today. Through their travels across the globe, Hōkūle’a and her crew have united people and nations through a mission of Mālama Honua—caring for our home, our place. Mālama Honua includes sharing the aloha spirit with people around the world, and is something that each of us can take to heart and apply in our lives every single day. As we welcome the Hōkūle’a to Washington DC, we are reminded that we each have a responsibility to make our oceans, our land, and our home a safer, cleaner, and better place.”
Hōkūleʻa has voyaged traditionally for 40 years, sailing over 150,000 nautical miles throughout the Pacific. Since leaving Hawaiʻi on the “Mālama Honua” worldwide voyage, the Hōkūle‘a has travelled to more than 12 countries and 55 ports. In March 2016, Hōkūleʻa touched the continental US for the first time in the Everglades of Florida, and has since sailed up the East Coast of the U.S. The crew will spend a week in Washington, DC before setting sail to New York City to join the World Oceans Day events hosted by the United Nations on June 8, 2016.
