ETHAN ROGACION (HE/HIM)
People from all over the Pacific travelled to Hawai’i last month to take part in the 13th annual Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, FestPAC: a celebration of everything Pasifika. Based around the theme “Ho‘oulu Lāhui: Regenerating Oceania”, the ten-day event is both a chance for Pacific peoples to show off the rich culture and heritage of their respective whenua, and a platform to kōrero about important issues affecting the region.
Delegates from 27 Pacific nations and territories descended on Honolulu to take part, with Aotearoa’s delegation organised around the vision “Taku Hoe”. CreativeNZ said that as a part of this narrative, “the terms ‘kaiurungi’ (steerers) and ‘kaihoe’ (paddlers) represent a collective acknowledgment that we are all Pacific people who have traversed the vast expanse of the Pacific over time.”
The festival’s wehana (opening ceremony) was a show of the unique and highly demanding arts that make Pasifika performance unique. Highlights included the delegations from Taiwan, Rapa Nui, and Samoa, just to name a few. Despite the diverse cultural traditions, attire, and performances of all participating nations, attendees agreed that the event reinforced the shared heritage and whānau of all Pasifika people.
This celebration was, however, slightly overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in Kanaky (New Caledonia) between indigenous Kanaks and French settlers. As a result, Kanaky’s delegation pulled out of FestPAC. According to Salient’s own Mauatua Fa'ara-Reynolds—who attended the festival—discussions took place about how people across Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa could best support Kanaky in their struggle for self-determination and independence.
“FestPAC's significance extends far beyond a mere celebration of tradition,” wrote John Auge, commentator for the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. “As the Pacific navigates the challenges of globalisation and environmental threats, the event offers a space for collaboration, innovation, and collective action.”
The festival also served as a platform for cultural practitioners and artists to share their traditions and works with one another. Stalls at the Hawai’i Convention Centre and other venues—alongside a number of workshops in visual, performing, and heritage arts—were among a myriad of examples of the unique artforms that dot the Pacific.
Some controversy arose from the fact that, in the tikanga of Hawai'i, only men are traditionally permitted to do whakairo, or carving. According to Fa’ara-Reynolds, this meant that some female practitioners of this art form were excluded due to the kapu (tapu) placed upon it. She said that this led to discussion about how best to respect tikanga in pan-Pacific spaces like FestPAC.
Despite this, the festival still provided space for people—especially young Pasifika—to get in touch with their identity. Aotearoa’s Pacific youth ambassador, Annafinau Tukuitoga, said that the festival was eye opening. “Aotearoa is showing the Pacific how to be inclusive, by bringing people together, working together, and being comfortable with the notion that I am Fijian/Niue, but I can also represent Aotearoa in many spaces,” she said.
Undoubtedly, the impact of FestPAC 2024 will ripple across Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa until the next festival, scheduled for 2028: a show of unity from a region striving for sovereignty and independence in a quickly changing global climate.