Even though the weather was wet, it didn’t stop the Kaulukukui ohana (Thomas, Jr., his daughters Jody Kaulukukui, Hoolea Allocca, and mo`opuna) from their visit at METC.
Thomas, Sr., who was OHA Chairman at the time and one of the key figures along with Pinky Thompson, in getting the sitka spruce logs for Hawai`iloa. In fact, the Alaskan Natives dedicated one log to Thomas, Sr., and the other log to Pinky Thompson.
Thomas, Jr. asked which hull is dedicated to his father. “It is unclear which hull log was given to which elder. Perhaps someone knows this. When this is determined, then the hulls could eventually bear the name of the family who received it. Because of the Thompson family’s contribution to voyaging, the Kaulukukui family will defer to that family on this issue.” Thomas Ka’auwai Kaulukukui, Jr.
There are three (3) pictures of Nainoa Thompson, Pinky Thompson, Thomas Kaulukukui, Sr. (orange jacket), Lynette Paglinawan, and Abraham and Mrs. Piianaia, and Wrighto Bowman in Alaska for the falling of the sitka spruce trees. Bonus picture is of a keiki wahine, Kala Baybayan, planting koa prior to the falling of the Alaskan trees in 1990. Screenshot photos were taken from a video “Spirit of the Land – In the Wake of our Ancestors” by Gail Evenari of Maiden Voyage Productions, who also filmed the voyage of Hawai`iloa.