Vaʻa is a word in Samoan, Hawaiian and Tahitian which means 'boat', 'canoe' or 'ship'. It is cognate with other Polynesian words such as vaka or the Māori word waka. The vaʻa usually takes the form a dugout canoe carved from a single tree trunk, typically used by one to three individuals for fishing activities around the island. It normally has a float or outrigger (called ama in various Polynesian languages), which is attached to the main hull for stability. The word vaʻa contrasts with larger traditional seagoing vessels for long-distance voyages, whose names include vaʻa tele ('big ship'), alia, or tepukei. A modern version of the smaller vaʻa is used in the sport of outrigger canoe racing. Due to the extra stability created by the outrigger system, a modified version of the va'a canoe was included as a new Paralympic Games event from 2020.

Types of vaʻa

Samoa

The Samoans have four kinds of canoes, smaller fishing vessels or the larger oceangoing va'a-tele or ʻalia, which are mostly out of use today;

Construction

A main hull of a vaʻa can be made in one piece, from a hollowed out trunk of a large tree with the ama float attached later. Other types of Polynesian construction include 'sewing' planks of wood together with special cords and ropes, a type of hand made sennit, important in the material cultures of the people of Oceania.

Other meanings

Vaʻa is also a surname in the Samoa Islands, and may refer to: