{"id":199539,"date":"2024-06-18T16:27:52","date_gmt":"2024-06-19T02:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=199539"},"modified":"2024-06-18T16:30:48","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T02:30:48","slug":"festpac-2024-diversity-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/06\/18\/festpac-2024-diversity-tradition\/","title":{"rendered":"FestPAC 2024: Celebrating diversity and tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"People
Opening festivities at Stan Sheriff Center (Photo credit: Office of the Governor)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> West Oʻahu<\/span><\/a> and UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa played significant roles in the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture<\/a> (FestPAC), the largest gathering celebrating Indigenous Pacific Islanders worldwide that was held in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> in June 2024.<\/p>\n

\"Hula
ʻ\u014clapa (dancers) from various h\u0101lau perform mele (songs) at festivities (Photo credit: Office of the Governor)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The opening and closing ceremonies were held at the Stan Sheriff Center at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa. Both events buzzed with vibrant energy as more than 2,000 delegates from 27 Pacific Island nations, including Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> offered song, chants and dances to officially begin and end the event.<\/p>\n

“Our university is honored to have served as a base, marking the beginning and end of such an anticipated event that is put on across the Pacific in an effort to preserve traditional practices and rich heritage of Indigenous arts,” said UH<\/abbr> President David Lassner. “The diversity and creativity showcased by each participating nation throughout FestPAC has been truly inspiring.”<\/p>\n

\"People
Pacific Higher Education Summit at the East-West Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Throughout the 10-day islandwide festival, the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa campus served as a home base for 1,527 delegates who stayed in student housing facilities. During FestPAC, UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa and UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> hosted a series of events, including performances and symposia open to the public. On June 10 and 11, Lassner spearheaded a two-day Pacific Higher Education Summit at the East-West Center. Leaders from more than 20 universities across the Pacific gathered to discuss mutual concerns regarding education access, broadband connectivity, and universities\u2019 roles in addressing climate change and sustainability.<\/p>\n

\"Seated
Two days of public performances at UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span>\u2019s Campus Courtyard, audiences were treated to free performances showcasing traditional music and dances from Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Taiwan, French Polynesia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Guam, and Wallis and Futuna.<\/p>\n

The Marine Education Training Center at Honolulu Community College<\/a> also hosted traditional waʻa<\/span> (canoes) that carried in representatives from various Pacific nations.<\/p>\n

Hoʻoulu<\/span> L\u0101hui: Regenerating Oceania<\/h2>\n
\"Sal\u0101
FestPAC director Aaron J. Sal\u0101, who is also a program director at UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> (Photo credit: Office of the Governor)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Organizers selected this year\u2019s festival theme, Hoʻoulu<\/span> L\u0101hui: Regenerating Oceania. In ʻ\u014dlelo Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> (Hawaiian language), Hoʻoulu<\/span> l\u0101hui means “to grow the nation.” FestPAC\u2019s mission is to revive and sustain traditional practices and knowledge.<\/p>\n

Originating in 1972, the festival rotates its host nation every four years and has grown into the largest of its kind, attracting participants from nations across the Pasifika (Pacific) such as American Samoa, Cook Islands, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.<\/p>\n

For more go to the FestPAC website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> and UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa played significant roles in the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[33,62,134,470,9,947,59],"class_list":["post-199539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-hawaiian","tag-honolulu-community-college","tag-international","tag-pacific-islands","tag-uh-manoa","tag-uh-system","tag-uh-west-oahu","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t