Pasana Group – Traditional Canoe School

Papua New Guinea's first canoe school.

I'm proud to be volunteering with Pasana Group, a remarkable community-led initiative founded by my brothers Justin and Sanakoli John in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.

Pasana Group is dedicated to reviving traditional canoe building and sailing, while also promoting sustainable fishing practices among local youth. Their mission is to empower young boys and girls with cultural knowledge and practical skills that help them thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Reconnecting the Pacific

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Mimi George, Pasana Group has built strong relationships with other voyaging groups across the Pacific. In 2023, Sanakoli John joined a speaking tour alongside fellow Pacific navigators—sharing ancestral knowledge from Vancouver to Berlin to Greenwich (UK).

This growing movement is revitalizing indigenous maritime traditions and connecting communities through shared heritage and purpose.

New Canoe house in 2024

In 2024, Pasana Group received a generous grant from the Gerda Henkel Foundation to support their project:
“Revitalising, Documenting, and Teaching Ancestral Vessel Construction in Milne Bay.”

This funding allows Pasana Group to build a new canoe house where youth and elders will come together to share skills and keep traditional knowledge alive. They are proudly collaborating with their sister organisation on Taumako Island (Solomon Islands) to strengthen cultural exchange across the Pacific.