Who was Mau Piailug and how did he help revive Polynesian navigation?

Mau Piailug (born 1932) was a highly skilled traditional navigator from the island of Satawal in the Federated States of Micronesia, where ancient seafaring techniques remained a living practice. He played a pivotal role in the revival of Polynesian navigation, a tradition that had been nearly lost.12

In 1976, Piailug served as the navigator for the maiden voyage of the Hokule’a, a reconstructed double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe, as it traveled from Hawaii to Tahiti. By demonstrating the efficacy of traditional, non-instrumental navigation methods over long ocean routes, he provided the practical knowledge necessary to reawaken these ancient seafaring traditions.21

Furthermore, Piailug trained the Hawaiian navigator Nainoa Thompson, who subsequently passed these skills on to many others, ensuring the continuation of the practice into the 21st century. In recognition of his foundational contributions to the revival of Pacific voyaging, the canoe Alingano Maisu was gifted to him in 2007.1