A project collaboration that is using 3D and virtual reality to examine Hawaiian traditional craftsmanship and methods for canoe construction. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the Wa’a Project is that the 3D model of the canoe will be made available to the communities of origin. Access to the 3D model of the wa’a will hopefully help canoe carvers revitalize and sustain their traditional knowledge of canoe building. Collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Digitization Program Office, the National Museum of Natural History and the University of South Florida Libraries. The digitization, imaging, and 3D scanning of the wa’a is part of a larger project focused on Oceanic canoes being carried out with Hawaiian and Māori carvers and canoe builders and staff from NMNH and the Asia Pacific American Center (APAC).