Puakea Foundation - Perpetuating Pacific Islands Canoe Culture

Puakea Foundation

The Puakea Foundation of Hawai‘i, Inc. was founded in 2005 in honor of Bobby Puakea, aka Uncle Bobby. The foundation is dedicated to preserving Pacific Island Canoe Culture.
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Articles from Our Blog

Join Us at Lei Day 2026!

Puakea Foundation will be at the 98th Annual Celebration and we hope you will join us! Photo by Joel on Flickr. From Hawai‘i Guide:  May Day Is Lei Day The 98th Annual Lei Day Celebration takes over...
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2026 Kualoa Canoe Event

The Puakea Foundation supported the 2026 Kualoa Canoe Event. Please enjoy! MAHALO: On behalf of Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy and all of our DOE partners, we want to send a HUGE MAHALO to all of the...
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Paddle Making Workshop 2025

Uncle Bobby's Paddle Workshops 2025 MAHALO FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE ANNUAL PADDLE WORKSHOP! BOTH JAN & FEB WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN FILLED. WE WILL STILL CONTINUE TO ACCEPT WAITLIST INTEREST IN CASE...
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About Our Programs

Uncle Bobby and students who attended his Make Your Own Paddle workshop

EDUCATION

Education is a core part of our mission. Every year, Uncle Bobby teaches a three-week course on How to Make Your Own Paddle. He also frequently hosts visitors and school groups who watch him work repairing koa canoes at the halau.
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Women's crew approaching the finish line of the Na Wahine o ke kai race

RACING

Canoe culture is deeply centered around the art and sport of outrigger canoe racing. The Puakea Foundation promotes the traditional use of koa canoes in races throughout the U.S. and also supports Men’s and Women’s teams.
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photo of the Ho‘ola koa canoe

WA‘A GENEALOGY

In 2015, the Puakea Foundation began a long-term project to identify and catalog all of the koa wa‘a (canoes) here in Hawai‘i. We estimate there are close to 100 of them, and we are gathering details of their history and current location.
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