A cross-campus series bringing traditional Pacific voyaging knowledge into dialogue with maritime education, rooted in contemporary Oceania and the living continuum of ocean knowledge — from master navigators to emerging wayfinders.Presented in partnership with 500 Sails, Cal Poly welcomes Grand Master Navigator Sesario Sewralur and Master Navigators Jun Coleman, Cecilio Raiukiulipiy, and Mario Benito from the Northern Mariana Islands. Representing island lineages within the Weriyang tradition of Micronesia, these navigators carry forward rigorous systems of star-based navigation, canoe building, apprenticeship, and ceremonial initiation that have sustained ocean voyaging for generations.
Through interactive dialogues, a keynote lecture, a traditional canoe ceremony, & an evening conversation with four navigators, participants will encounter ocean knowledge as living practice—gaining insight into the discipline, observation, and judgment required to read winds, swells, and stars. In the Blue Continent, such knowledge is transmitted across generations as cultural stewardship, guiding contemporary Oceania while drawing from ancestral foundations.
Program Schedule (Detail):
CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO
March 5. 11 am - 1 pm (ATL) The Blue Continent I: Past to Present. An interactive dialogue with Pedru Perez, Canoe Builder and 500 Sails Co-founder, exploring ancestral navigation, ocean knowledge systems, and the enduring presence of Pacific voyaging traditions in today’s world. Pizza provided by The Agricultural Engineering Society (AES).
March 5. 3:10 - 4:30 pm (ATL) Traditions of Our Past Are Viable Solutions for Our Future. A keynote reflection on Indigenous knowledge systems as living frameworks for community resilience, maritime innovation, and intergenerational continuity by Emma Perez, 500 Sails Co-founder. Introduction by the Cal Poly Hui Haumana student group.
March 6. 11 am - noon (192-106) The Blue Continent II: Navigating from Present to Future. A forward-looking conversation with Pedru Perez, Canoe Builder and 500 Sails Co-founder, connecting wayfinding traditions to maritime education, emerging technologies, and future pathways.
CAL POLY SOLANO (MARITIME)
March 16. midday (TBD) Launching of the Canoes: A Traditional Canoe Ceremony with Navigators of the Northern Mariana Islands. Gather for a traditional launching of canoes with the Cal Poly Maritime Academy Canoe Club and Master Navigators from the Northern Mariana Islands. This is an interactive gathering with paddling canoes and large-scale canoe models honoring Pacific maritime knowledge and practice.
March 16. 5 - 6 pm, with reception to follow from 6-7 pm (Compass Room) Beyond the Horizon: A Conversation with Master Navigators. An evening conversation exploring Indigenous navigation, ocean knowledge, and maritime futures, followed by a catered reception. Opening remarks by Jun Coleman followed by breakout discussions with Grand Master Navigator Sesario Sewralur and Master Navigators Jun Coleman, Cecilio Raiukiulipiy, and Mario Benito.
About 500 SAILS and Navigators:
500 Sails is a Northern Mariana Islands–based nonprofit dedicated to the perpetuation, promotion, and preservation of Indigenous maritime traditions and heritage through canoe building, navigation training, & cultural education.
Grand Master Navigator Sesario Sewralur — Son of the legendary Mau Piailug of Satawal, Sewralur carries forward the Weriyang school of navigation and teaches traditional star-based voyaging across the Pacific.
Master Navigator Jun Coleman — Executive Director of 500 Sails, Coleman is a Master Navigator initiated in the Pwo ceremony and a seasoned canoe builder, voyager, and USCG Master/Captain.
Master Navigator Cecilio Raiukiulipiy — Initiated within the Weriyang school, Raiukiulipiy has voyaged extensively across the Pacific and maintains deep ties to Carolinian seafaring traditions.
Master Navigator Mario Benito — Educated in the Weriyang school and ordained through the Pwo ceremony, Benito is a cultural documentarian and ambassador of Micronesian voyaging traditions.
Sunset to Sunrise is sponsored with generous support from: Cal Poly AANHPI Initiatives,Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, Culture and Institutional Excellence, College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, Office of Research, International Center, and Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
