Ethnobotany and Construction of a Tongan Voyaging Canoe: The Kalia Mileniume

Abstract

Construction of the world’s largest existing double hulled voyaging canoe, the 108 foot Tongan Kalia Mileniume, was completed in August 2000. The kalia was documented on three research trips. Tuione Pulotu, master chainsaw artist and canoe builder designed the canoe and proposed the project to the Tongan government as a celebration for the New Millennium. This ethnobotanical study documented canoe architecture and plant species used for the Kalia Mileniume, as well as for voyaging canoes of the past. Construction procedures were recorded through series photography, digital video, and interviews with the builders. Detailed measurements were taken of the final product. As near as one can judge authenticity of a reproduced cultural artifact, the Kalia Mileniume was a successful recreation.