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#festpac2024 on Facebook

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Kathy, Corrin, & Susin (Marshallese master weaver) at the festival village

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⭐️ Hawaii News Now live streams the heritage dance performances @ 3 pm HST daily on YouTube

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hawaii news now "hawaii news" visitor tourism breaking investigative weather "first alert"

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Hawaii News Now is your source for breaking news, severe weather and traffic updates.

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The NMI Humanities Council, Humanities Guahan, and American Samoa inked an MOU to establish the Pacific Islands Humanties Network. The grant was proposed by the NMI Humanities Council and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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KUAM CNMI on Instagram: "The Northern Marianas Humanities Council and Humanities Guahan helped launch the Pacific Islands Humanities Network. 

The regional body was formally established and they inked a Memorandum of Understanding in Hawai’i amid FestPAC. 

Regional Correspondent Thomas Manglona reports."

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13 likes, 0 comments - kuamcnmi on June 11, 2024: "The Northern Marianas Humanities Council and Humanities Guahan helped launch the Pacific Islands Humanities Network. 

The regional body...". 

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KUAM CNMI (@kuamcnmi)

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To be officially part of FestPac, we waited in line to retrieve our credentials and ollek, there were at least 100 people ahead of us. Fortunately, I met a friend named Gina who travelled from Cook Islands with her husband and children. They were sooo cool and heartwarming, I hope to visit Cook Islands someday: "Is the island itself called Rarotonga?" I asked. "That is the capitol. Our islands are named after Captain Cook," Gina said. I told her, "Oh, I'm so sorry." 😂 We burst out in laughter.
Thanks for the Love
Checkout my handsome nephew in his Palauan style shirt, designed in Palau but sewed and put together by Sandra RK! Thanks auntie Sandra for doing this last minute, putting your love and heart into it. He was looking great with all the others unlike someone who stuck out like a sore thumb hehehe (I mean me)
Master Navigator Meets Fan
I was in deep fan-girling mode because of this man right here. He has his glasses on but even without his glasses, would you recognize him? Probably not. This is Sesario, the son of the great master navigator Mau Piailug from the island of Satawal of Yap. Papa Mau was one of only few, if not the ONLY master navigator across the Pacific who still held tight to the ancient traditional practices of seafaring. He brought the knowledge to Hawai'i, whom Kanaka Maoli and all throughout Polynesia lost the art for 400 years. Today, we have the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Micronesian Voyaging that teaches young Pasifika men and women the traditional and ancient practices that were passed down from Papa Mau Piailug. Please note: any current modern depiction of seafaring across popular culture or teachings are directly inspired by Papa Mau's work. The creators of Moana use Papa Mau's work the Disney animation, but unfortunately most people don't know that.
Delegation of Palau/Belau
The Palau Delegation together with the greater Pasifika family. The Stan Sariff Center at the University of Hawai'i was flooded with brown Pasifika from all over. Klebokel (beautiful). Shouts, cheers, and songs all around. Kom ngar tiang el rokui? OHHHHHH HUIIIIII

The ceremony opened with the Hawai'i delegation, beginning with an olelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian chant). So many Kanaka Maoli(s) and people who are Kanaka at heart showed up and showed out to welcome each delegation.

Soon after, it was the Parade of Nations, where each Pasifika nation is highlighted to speak of warm greetings, present gifts, and a performance to the royal family or governing authority of the nation. In Hawai'i's case, Governor Green and his wife the 1st Lady of the State of Hawai'i.

There are 28 nations that participate in FestPac every 4 years but unfortunately, New Caledonia & Vanuatu were unable to attend this year's 2024 festivities. Lookup New Caledonia to see what is going on with their nation and the reasons they could not be present with their brothers and sisters of the ocean. For more info on the different delegations, visit this website: https://www.festpachawaii.org/delegations Though 28 nations may be present, there are ethnic groups that are distinct that are also here, bringing that number higher: 35+! Nation & culture are not always synonymous.

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Day 1 - Opening of the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts (FestPac) hosted by Hawai'i

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After 8 long years since the last event in Guam, having gone through COVID and so many other world issues, we have made it to the epitome of Pasifika culture: The Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture...

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Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum is set to play a significant role in the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC), scheduled for June 6 - 16, 2024, welcoming delegations from 28 Pacific Island nations. This event, aligning with the museum's mission, will showcase the vibrant heritage and culture of the Pacific, featuring special exhibits and programs to enrich the experience.

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FestPAC 2024 Opening Ceremony Highlights

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Samoa: "We are not small island states, we are the caretakers of the largest ocean in the world,"

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SĀMOA - 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture 2024 in Hawaii - Sāmoa Capital Radio

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World’s largest Pacific cultural festival kicks off in Hawai’i with blaze of colour and song - ABC Pacific

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The world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific culture has kicked off in a blaze of colour, song and dance, with more than 2,500 delegates representing 25 nations gathering together in Hawai’i.

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CNMI Canoes participate at FestPac

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HONOLULU - Three canoes represented the CNMI in the Wa'a ceremony of the 2024 Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture here in Hawaii.

The Wa'a opening ceremony is a highlight of every FestPac, gathering the seagoing vessels of Oceania in a parade of boats.

This year's Wa'a ceremony was held at Kualoa (not Kailua) Regional Park and gathered thousands of cultural delegates from Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia.

Participating in this year's event were 500 Sails canoes Aunty Oba, Mikaela and Che'lu.

Mikaela was captained by Master Navigator Mario Benito, who was joined by his son Lolo Benito, Beo Ngirchongor, and others. Mikaela is the 500 Sails vessel created entirely on Saipan at the 500 Sails Boatyard. It is a Carolinian style vessel made out of fiberglass and wood.

The crewmembers of Che'lu, a 47-foot-long sailing canoe, included her boatbuilder Mario "Sakman" Borja, Northern Marianas Humanities Council Executive Director and trained Lalayak Leo Pangelinan. Also aboard Che'lu were Northern Islands Mayor Valentino Taisacan, Louis Tilipao from the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Master Navigator Antonio Piailug, Frances Sablan and Yo'amte/Suruhanu Donald Mendiola.

Aunty Oba, which was also built entirely on Saipan, had an all-female crew: Andrea Carr, April Repeki, Sophia Perez, Marjorie Daria, Franceska De Oro, Eva Aguon Cruz and Jenny Cha.

Perez said the sailing conditions at Kailua Regional Park had similarities to the CNMI.

"In some ways it kind of reminds me of the lagoon we sail in, because when we went out it was low tide," she said. "April [Repeki] looked down and it was so shallow you could walk."

"It reminded me of our old stomping ground," Perez said, referring to the Saipan Lagoon.

She said FestPac was an opportunity to bring the cultural sailing community together. She said being around all the vessels is a chance to see how different cultures rig their boats and sails.

"One thing I like is that FestPac brings our Marianas sailors together. We realize how familiar we all are with each other. Even if we might sail differently, we're all part of the Marianas sailing community," she added.

FestPac is the largest celebration of indigenous Pacific Islanders, bringing together artists, cultural practitioners, scholars, officials and the general public from across the Pacific Islands and beyond.

Since its inception in 1972, FestPac has been hosted by different Pacific Island nations on a rotational basis, once every four years. The festival serves as an important venue for cultural conservation and revitalization, creativity and innovation, and cultural diplomacy for the Pacific community.

The goal of FestPac is to strengthen the physical and cultural resilience of Pacific Islanders and communities by cultivating connections to share culture and practices, learn and grow, adapt to a changing climate, contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage, and foster a sense of identity and unity among the people of the Pacific region.

The main pillars of the festival are ceremonies and protocols, symposium, performing arts, visual arts, and heritage arts.

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CNMI canoes take part in FestPac Wa'a ceremony

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HONOLULU - Three canoes represented the CNMI in the Wa'a ceremony of the 2024 Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture here in Hawaii.