“Verre windstreken”
Faraway lands As folks moved through the Dutch landscape, there were many different ways and especially narrative structures for understanding the forces of nature as a strategy for prosperity. Of course, this doesn’t happen only in this landscape. A good example on the other side of the globe is Polynesian navigation.16 Polynesian seafarers traveled thousands of kilometers across the open ocean to navigate between the island groups in the vast ocean without any instruments. They used a sophisticated, orally passed down celestial navigation system that allowed them to determine their location based on the rising and setting of various star clusters. On a scale of islands separated by more than thousands of kilometers, understanding the wind is crucial. A Polynesian seafarer had to be able to remember and recognize certain high winds (Ko’olau) at their current location.(17,18) In this culture, sailing is not just about getting further away; it is deeply rooted in a specific location, where you learn to recognize the journey you undertake, the winds, stars, and waves you encounter along the way, and thus use this knowledge to find your way back. In this culture, understanding the wind is an intuitive process in which the canoe and the body act as extensions of the experience of feeling the wind and waves. The Polynesians view their practice of working with the elements as a holistic endeavor. The stories told within the culture form the foundation of the seafarers’ skills. For a long time, Polynesian culture was suppressed and nearly lost due to Westernization and colonization. In 1975, the traditional vessel (pahi) Hokule’a was rebuilt and, with the help of Micronesian master navigator Mau Piailug, sailed in the traditional way.19 This led to a rediscovery of indigenous culture and, with it, a renewed appreciation of traditional practices. How might we once again make room for the wind through mythical and magical ancient stories, or ways of life that once existed in this landscape?