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Steve Thomas traditional Micronesian navigation collection

 Collection
Identifier: MANUSCRIPT-P00045

Scope and Contents

The Steve Thomas traditional Micronesian navigation collection dates from 1983 to 1989 and consists of the unpublished papers, 35mm slides, audiovisual materials, oral history transcripts, and photographs related primarily to traditional navigation on Satawal Island, Yap.

Dates

  • Creation: 1983-1989

Conditions Governing Access

48 hours advance notice required. Materials available Monday-Friday, 10:00 am-4:30 pm.

Conditions Governing Use

Non-flash photograph only.

Biographical / Historical

As a young man piloting a small sailboat across the Pacific, Steve Thomas developed a fascination with ancient methods of navigation. He learned of a seafaring culture that, beginning 6,000 years ago, used arcane navigation arts to guide initiates unerringly across the Pacific with no compasses, no charts. Thomas ventured to the tiny coral atolls of Micronesia in search of these mysteries, this ancient language of the sea. There he found the last navigator. Mau Piailug, one of the last surviving palu, belongs to a dying breed of navigators who used only natural signs--stars, waves, birds--to guide their sailing canoes across thousands of miles of open ocean. Steve Thomas is the author of The Last Navigator and creator of the film of the same name.

Extent

2 Linear Feet ((Textual material) )

31 Cassettes ((Audio cassettes) )

2 Cassettes ((Video cassettes) )

14 discs (Computer discs)

circa 4,000 Items (Slides and photographs)

Language

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Steve Thomas traditional Micronesian navigation collection was donated to the Pacific Collection at the University of Hawaiʻi Library by the creator, Steve Thomas, in April 2005.

Existence and Location of Copies

The photographic images of the Steve Thomas traditional Micronesian navigation collection are also available via the World Wide Web at the following URI: http://digicoll.manoa.hawaii.edu/satawal/index.php.

Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Libraries Repository

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