Hawaii Aloha: Honouring the “Hawaii Nation”
How do we assess the success of a cultural event? What metrics apply when you’re talking about dancers, artists and a host of creatives? That’s the challenge facing anyone who wants to determine whether the 13th
A meeting of culture, commerce and solidarity
At the halfway of the recent Festival for Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC), its operations director Makanani Sali described it as a “beautiful, chaotic mess” in an interview with local media. And that is how it
Opinion: Tapestry of Pacific ambiguities: Political tensions against the backdrop of FestPac celebrations
The focus of the Festival of Pacific Arts, or FestPac, is always culture, and the 13th iteration held in June 2024 in Hawai’i was no different. More than two dozen island nations sent delegations of dancers,
Equitable Fishing Access and Sustainable Practices to be Addressed at Upcoming Council Meeting in Honolulu
As the U.S. exclusive economic zone available to fishing continues to shrink due to federal regulations, foreign fishing presence increases and Pacific Islands bear the brunt of American conservation efforts, justice
At FestPAC, a call to preserve the ocean that separates — and connects
All of the 28 nation’s participating in 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture on Oahu are separated by miles of ocean. That same ocean, they say, connects them. That’s why they’re working to protect the
‘A Pacific notion of presence’: FestPAC attendees show solidarity for New Caledonia
When Fijian Mika Sela saw New Caledonia’s glaringly empty hale at the Hawaii Convention Centre, the Fiji delegate took his kava bowl and sat alone. The Indigenous Kanaks of the French territory were forced to
Hokule’a’s babies: Cook Islands master navigator credits pioneers
In 2024 in Honolulu, the most venerated participants of the 13th Festpac are the voyagers who have arrived by reading the stars, the waves and winds, to close the circle begun by Hawaii’s Hokule’a canoe in the mid
Solomon Islands arts and crafts fascinate FestPAC visitors
Solomon Islands traditional and contemporary arts and craft displays have captivated the hearts and curiosity of festival visitors heralding the originality, creativity and uniqueness of our arts industry. Despite
FestPAC gathering strengthens Pacific identity
As the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) enters its second week, Cook Islands Consul General in Aotearoa New Zealand, Keu Mataroa, expresses his deep appreciation for the rich cultural artistry and
Opinion: FestPAC: Protecting Oceania and charting future voyages
It’s the first time the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, which starts Thursday, will be held in Hawaii. The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture is the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific
More than 1,000 invasive trees harvested to build village for the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture
The Hawaii DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife worked with the Albizia Project to cut down more than 1,000 invasive trees — mostly albizia, macaranga, and gunpowder trees — that will be used to make 28 hale for