By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
The world's largest celebration of indigenous Pacific culture commenced in a vibrant display of color, song, and dance, as over 2,500 delegates from 25 nations gathered in Hawai. The journey to the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture saw people traveling across the vast moana ocean to reach Hawai.
The opening ceremony featured the Royal Hawaiian Band, accompanied by a dancer, and took place at the Hawai Stan Sheriff Centre. Delegates were greeted with performances by the Royal Hawaiian Band and the O'ahu Halau, which included rhythmic drumbeats, chants, and the sound of conch shells.
The ceremony, described by the MCs as a "very big family reunion," saw Taiwan, a special guest, leading the procession with a cultural performance, followed by each of the 25 Pacific nations. Each group showcased their cultural heritage with vibrant dances, colors, and music, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The previous host of FestPAC in 2016, led the parade and was the first to present ceremonial gifts to Hawai'i governor Josh Green. Following Guam were Wallis and Futuna, Tuvalu, and Tonga, the latter presenting a 100 foot tapa cloth made by 100 women from Tonga. Tonga's tourism chief, Viliami Alamameita Takapus, highlighted the significance of their handmade gift.
Subsequent delegations included Tokelau, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Rapa Nui, and Papua New Guinea. Each delegation brought unique cultural gifts, such as shell money, wooden carvings, and heartfelt messages emphasizing their connection through the ocean.
Rounding out the procession were Palau, Northern Mariana Islands, Norfolk Island, Niue, Aotearoa New Zealand, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, French Polynesia, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands, Australia, American Samoa, and finally, the host nation, Hawai'i, which concluded the ceremony with a series of hulas.
The festival, hosted by different Pacific Island nations every four years with a hiatus during the COVID 19 pandemic, is being held in Hawai'i for the first time. It aims to strengthen cultural ties among Pacific Island nations by bringing together artists, leaders, scholars, and performers to celebrate Pacific arts and culture. Festivities unofficially began with ceremony on Wednesday, welcoming delegates who sailed to the shores of Kauloa Regional Park.