“Symbol of Hope”: Canoe Touches Water for First Time After 3 Years of Construction

At 8 am on Friday, employees of the canoe house (under the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture) pulled the le’lek (Chamorro; canoe) into the waters of Civic Center for the very first time after three years of dedicated construction.

Community members and employees of the canoe house gathered and secured the le’lek with a rope, using their combined strength to roll the hull over parts of coconut trees and cast-off wood pieces meant to elevate the le’lek on its journey through the sand.

The canoe’s place in the water is strategic - years before the le’lek was built, the crew was working on a sakman (longer canoe, approximately 40 feet) that caught on fire after a storm. Salvaged parts of the sakman were harvested and used as components for this le’lek. When Typhoon Sinlaku’s winds caused the collapse of the canoe house in April, the le’lek’s progress had to be protected from further damage. Although the structure is still incomplete, the le’lek’s time in salt water will cure the vessel, creating a stronger, water-sealed base meant for long voyages through the Pacific, in addition to protecting the canoe from possible fires.

Native resident and Program Coordinator for the Seafaring Traditions Program, John Castro, thanks the members of the community for their assistance and dedication to cultural crafts. In reference to the le’lek touching waters for the first time, Castro calls the event “a symbol of hope.”

Kianna Reyes reports.