Historians still do not know why Queen Kapiʻolani selected this specific waʻa to present to the Smithsonian in 1887. No surviving letters, journals, or royal records explain whether it held personal, political, ceremonial, or symbolic meaning. This silence leaves open the question of whether the canoe represented diplomacy, identity, sovereignty, or something more deeply connected to the queen herself.

The canoe’s original builders and place of origin remain unknown, as no written records or oral histories identify the kahuna kalai waʻa or the community that shaped it. Its construction style suggests a 19th-century Hawaiian lineage, but the exact island, district, or family connection is lost. Without this information, scholars cannot fully trace the canoe’s cultural identity or craftsmanship lineage.

Little is known about how the canoe was used before 1887, whether for travel, fishing, ceremony, or royal service. Multiple repairs visible on the hull show a long working life, but researchers cannot tell which repairs were done traditionally in Hawaiʻi and which were added later by museum staff. This missing early biography creates a major gap in understanding how the canoe lived, functioned, and carried meaning in its original world.