Noni’s first journey to Hawaii

Noni’s first journey to the Hawaiian islands: The story of Hawaiian Noni begins sixteen-hundred years ago with inquisitive ocean explorers who came from the fruits original home in the Marquesas (mär-kā’zəs) Islands in what is now French Polynesia.

The twenty-four-hundred mile journey to the Hawaiian islands spanned over one third of the earths surface and was only completed after many attempts and over many generations. The guide and inspiration for these ancient mariners was migrating sea birds making a seasonal journey towards what would one day be the Hawaiian Islands.

Each fall travelers followed the birds out to sea using the stars and ocean currents to mark their position along the way; moving closer towards an unknown destination in the endless blue of the south pacific with each attempt.

By passing on navigational knowledge from tribal elders to new youth, each generations’ sojourn reached out further from home and closer to Hawaii. Long distance sailing brought many new challenges to the Polynesians. Food, water and other life necessities had to be refashioned for travel as did the basic goods needed to rebuild a new life once they had arrived.

Eventually fleets of better vessels were made with floating gardens allowing them to grow food as they sailed, and while still limited to the essentials, also now carried live plants (known as canoe plants) and seeds for native fruits and vegetables, building tools and materials, and a single cherished fruit for medicine.

The medicinal fruit was Noni and was known as the “queen” of all canoe plants for its healthful properties and its essential role in establishing new villages. So in 400 A.D., Hawaii Loa, a Polynesian chief brought Noni as one of the canoe plants on the 2,400 mile journey from Tahiti to a new island chain that eventually took on his name, Hawaii.

Today Hawaiian Ola is continuing this inspiring tradition by bringing the benefits of Noni to new parts of the world through a line of refreshing drinks that taste great and keep you energized for your long journey. Organic Hawaiian OLA is made without any unnecessary sugars or stimulants, and is fair trade, GMO-free and here to support the local farmers of Hawaii.