How a canoe helped turn Hawaiian culture into a source of pride and even influenced Hollywood

Early crew members of the voyaging canoe Hokulea are gathering in Hawaii to celebrate the vessel's 50th birthday. The Hokulea and its crews proved Polynesians settled their islands by navigating the seas instead of accidentally drifting there on logs. Saturday's celebration marks how their successful travels to Tahiti and around the world revived the traditional skill of navigating using stars, waves and weather instead of a relying on a compass. The canoe also helped turn Hawaiian culture to a source of pride. Original crew members and the public gathered Saturday at the same Oahu beach where the canoe first launched on March 8, 1975, to commemorate the anniversary.