Photo Essay: Pacific Islanders Converge On Oahu For 10-Day Event

The 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture unfolded at various venues, and our photographers were there.

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The 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture unfolded at various venues, and our photographers were there.

American Samoa delegates gather to enter the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture opening ceremony Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Honolulu. Known as FestPac for short, takes place every four years, however, missing the last event because of COVID. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
American Samoa delegates gather to enter the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture opening ceremony at the University of Hawaii Manoa on June 6. The world’s largest celebration of Indigenous Pacific Islanders takes place every four years, but missed a cycle in 2020 due to the pandemic. FestPAC has never before been held in Hawaii. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Cook Islands delegates enter the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture opening ceremony Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Honolulu. Known as FestPac for short, takes place every four years, however, missing the last event because of COVID. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Cook Islands delegates enter the UH’s Stan Sheriff Center for the opening ceremony. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Hawaii performs a floor-wide hula across the Stan Sheriff Center floor to welcome delegates and visitors to the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture opening ceremony Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Honolulu. Known as FestPac for short, takes place every four years, however, missing the last event because of COVID. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
A floor-wide hula is performed to welcome delegates and visitors. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Taiwan performs before the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture opening ceremony parade of nations Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Honolulu. Known as FestPac for short, takes place every four years, however, missing the last event because of COVID. A slow shutter speed captures the dancers in a blur. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Taiwan representatives perform before the opening ceremony parade of nations. A slow shutter speed captures the dancers in a blur. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Guam delegates perform during the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture opening ceremony Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Honolulu. Known as FestPac for short, takes place every four years, however, missing the last event because of COVID. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Guam representatives take the stage at the opening ceremony. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Tuvalu delegates offer a gift to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green during the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture opening ceremony Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Honolulu. Known as FestPac for short, takes place every four years, however, missing the last event because of COVID. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Tuvalu delegates offer a gift to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green during the opening ceremony. Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands in the South Pacific, is an independent island nation within the British Commonwealth. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Ariitema Vulivalu Ikahihifo screams with excitement as the delegation from Tonga enters the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture opening ceremony Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Honolulu. Known as FestPac for short, takes place every four years, however, missing the last event because of COVID. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Ariitema Vulivalu Ikahihifo screams with excitement as the delegation from Tonga enters the opening ceremony. Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom of more than 170 South Pacific islands. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Kathy Kawelu and her daughter Kiliwehi Coyle of Hilo stamp patterns at FestPac at the Bishop Museum Sunday, June 8, 2024, in Honolulu. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Kathy Kawelu and her daughter Kiliwehi Coyle of Hilo stamp patterns during a FestPAC event at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu on June 8. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Papua New Guinea delegate Kauwi Jack shows off wood carvings at the Bishop Museum Sunday, June 8, 2024, in Honolulu. Jack is part of FestPac wood carvers at the Bishop Museum. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Papua New Guinea delegate Kauwi Jack shows off wood carvings at the Bishop Museum on June 8. Papua New Guinea, in the southwestern Pacific, encompasses the eastern half of New Guinea and its offshore islands. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
FestPac wood carvers create paddles at the Bishop Museum Sunday, June 8, 2024, in Honolulu. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
FestPAC wood-carvers create paddles at the Bishop Museum on June 8. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
An Aotearoa woman weaves a sail Sunday, June 9, 2024, at Kualoa Regional Park in Kaneohe. The Aotearoa delegation is part of FestPac. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
A woman from Aotearoa (the Maori language name for New Zealand) weaves a sail June 9 at Kualoa Regional Park in Kaneohe. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
The Aotearoa delegation weaves a sail Sunday, June 9, 2024, at Kualoa Regional Park in Kaneohe. The Aotearoa delegation is part of FestPac. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
The Aotearoa delegation’s sail-weaving continues in Kaneohe. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
An Aotearoa canoe sits on the shore of Kualoa Regional Park Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Kaneohe. The Aotearoa delegation is part of FestPac. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
A canoe from Aotearoa sits on the shore of Kualoa Regional Park. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Paddles on an Aotearoa canoe are photographed Sunday, June 9, 2024, at Kualoa Regional Park in Kaneohe. The Aotearoa delegation is part of FestPac. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
A close-up of paddles used on the canoe from Aotearoa. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Ongoing festivities of Festpac continued at the Hawaii convention center with presentations by Rapanui and Aotearoa. Each contingent presented the uniqueness of their culture within the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
FestPAC exhibits attract visitors to the Hawaii Convention Center on Tuesday. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Ongoing festivities of Festpac continued at the Hawaii convention center with presentations by Rapanui and Aotearoa. Each contingent presented the uniqueness of their culture within the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
One of the exhibits was an immersive display of the night skies of the Pacific. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Ongoing festivities of Festpac continued at the Hawaii convention center with presentations by Rapanui and Aotearoa. Each contingent presented the uniqueness of their culture within the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
At the entrance to the main exhibition Tuesday, visitors check out Mauloa, a four-man outrigger fishing canoe made of koa wood. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
At the Festival Village stage at the Hawaii Convention Center, contingents from countries within Oceana shared their cultural stories through dance and music. Here the Australian group performed for a large crowd. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Representatives of Australia perform on the Festival Village stage at the convention center June 7. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
At the Festival Village stage at the Hawaii Convention Center, contingents from countries within Oceana shared their cultural stories through dance and music. Here the Samoan group performed for a large crowd. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
A Tahitian group performs for a large audience on the Festival Village stage. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Ongoing festivities of Festpac continued at the Hawaii convention center with presentations by Rapanui. Each contingent presented the uniqueness of their culture within the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Rapa Nui dancers perform on the Festival Village stage. The Rapa Nui are the Indigenous Polynesian peoples of Easter Island. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Ongoing festivities of Festpac continued at the Hawaii convention center with presentations by Rapanui. Each contingent presented the uniqueness of their culture within the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
The Rapa Nui make up about 60% of the current Easter Island population. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Ongoing festivities of Festpac continued at the Hawaii convention center with presentations by Rapanui. Each contingent presented the uniqueness of their culture within the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
The Rapa Nui represent the easternmost Polynesian culture. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Ongoing festivities of Festpac continued at the Hawaii convention center with presentations by Aotearoa. Each contingent presented the uniqueness of their culture within the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Representatives of Aotearoa (New Zealand) perform at the convention center. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Ongoing festivities of Festpac continued at the Hawaii convention center with presentations by Aotearoa. Each contingent presented the uniqueness of their culture within the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Members of the audience were invited to join the dancers from Aotearoa in a celebratory haka. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Some of FestPac鈥檚 most expressive Heritage Dance Performances were created by the Aotearoa contingent with the wahine showing off their Pukana (Eyes and Chin) expressions and the men - the Ta Moko Photographed June 13th, 2024. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Pukana expressions are key in a haka Thursday by the performers from Aotearoa. For women, pukana involves opening their eyes wide and jutting out their chin. For men, it means widening their eyes and stretching out their tongue or baring their teeth. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
FestPac continued on June 11th at Capital Modern with exhibitions, displays and dance performances. A group from Kiribati performed traditional dances on the front lawn of the facility wearing their traditional outfits. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Representatives from Kiribati perform Tuesday on the front lawn of Capital Modern, the Hawaii state art museum. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
FestPac continued on June 11th at Capital Modern with exhibitions, displays and dance performances. A group from Kiribati performed traditional dances on the front lawn of the facility wearing their traditional outfits. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
The Republic of Kiribati is an island nation in the Central Pacific. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
FestPac continued on June 11th at Capital Modern with exhibitions, displays and dance performances. Tattoo Artist Kawika Au (L) with assistance from his student Chris Love (R), creates a wrist tattoo for a client at the Capital Modern exhibitions during the Festpac celebrations (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Waialua tattoo artist Kawika Au, left, and his student Chris Love create a wrist tattoo for a client Tuesday at the Capital Modern.(David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
In this video, Aotearoa delegates Makareta Jahnke, Te Atiwei Ririnui and Maalaea Ropata weave a sail and sing June 9 at Kualoa Regional Park in Kaneohe. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)

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