Siva Afi Aotearoa at the Pasifika Festival, Western Springs, Tāmaki Makaurau, at the weekend. Photo: Facebook / Pasifika Festival
By So'omalo Iteni Schwalger, TAHI presenter
First person - My favourite time of the year, festival season - not the house music, raving festivals, no - I'm talking about cultural festivals. January through April brings with it celebrations up and down the country for Pacific peoples.
One of my personal favorites of the season is Tamaki Makaurau's Pasifika Festival. A two-day, inclusive celebration of all things Pacific.
As a Samoan, I can recognise that Pacific events can often be particularly Polynesian, made up of predominantly of Samoan, Tongan, Niuean, and Cook Island peoples - leaving out our many Melanesian and Micronesian siblings.
Pasifika, however, capitalises on our diversity. You've also got the Tuvalu Village, Fiji, Aotearoa, and Fale Pasifika, which recognises our other islands such as Kiribati, Tokelau, Tahiti, and Hawai'i.
It's been a turbulent four years for the Pasifika Festival. In 2019, the event was cancelled due to the tragedy that occurred days earlier on 15 March. 2020 brought with it Covid-19, and although the event had some manoeuvrability in 2022, it was still at the mercy of alert level restrictions, which saw it as a much smaller event, coined Taste of Pasifika.
Flash forward to 2023, and Pasifika is back.
(File photo). Photo:
The weekend boasted a tremendous 1000 performances, all explicitly unique, and a sight to behold. One lap around Western Springs and it's clear to see each Island Nation's distinctive cultural identity, but also the common threads that tie us all together.
Walking from the Tongan Village, the sounds of a Tauʻolunga fade, as you make the approach to the Cook Islands Village, where the tremendous taps of a Rutu Drum fills the air.
In between performances was your opportunity to indulge in flavors from the 48 food stalls scattered around the park.
As Pacific peoples, food is of the utmost significance. It's incorporated into our social, cultural and political identity, and being able to share that identity with others is a special thing. From pounding a bag of panikeke- Samoan pancakes - to devouring a plate of aromatic curry in the Fijian Village, you can try a bit of everything. All while washing it down with a fresh cup of Tongan 'Otai, a refreshing Tongan beverage.
Pasifika Festival back in full swing was a sight to behold. It reminded me of the significance of celebrating our heritage. Families wondering around the park, pushing their children along in strollers, stopping to catch up with friends, it's a social and cultural experience.
Living in Aotearoa finds many of us separated from our roots. Practising our traditions, and celebrating it abroad, is how we maintain that connection to our homelands.
I'm always humbled when I enter a Samoan environment here, it reminds me of where we came from, and how far we've come. From the past of working plantations, to the present, now achieving roles in education and governance.
As Pacific peoples, we are young to the western world, but that does not mean we are not integrating, or excelling in this new world. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors, and at Pasifika festival, we honoured them.