Wa'a ceremony heralds in 'Olympics of Pacific Arts'

Vaka have sailed in, conch shells blown and pātē (drums) beaten to signify the opening of what’s nicknamed ‘The Olympics of Pacific Arts’.

A fleet of traditional voyaging canoes from across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa have been welcomed into Kualoa Bay to herald in the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC) in Hawai’i.

More than 1500 people from 27 countries are attending the event which occurs every four years.

Organisers say this year's festival symbolises unity as the wa'a bring in representatives from across the region.

Pacific Media Network’s senior reporter Khalia Strong is in Honolulu and says people from remote parts of the Pacific are also gathering for an event where ‘Europeans are a minority.’

“I met someone on the plane from Wallis and Futuna, which is a French territory in between Sāmoa and Tonga, and I was like ‘How’d you get here?’ and they had to fly to Fiji first and then head over to Hawai’i.

“Some of them have travelled for the day(s) to get here and others have been voyaging for weeks like the Hōkūleʻa.

"We’re expecting 2000 delegates and more than 100,000 people to attend over the next week and a half.”

Te Pāti Māori is also in Hawai’i for the Protecting Oceania event, which focuses on trying to stop seabed mining around the world.

Hauraki-Waikato electorate Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke joined the opening ceremony, saying the festival was a chance for leaders of the Pacific to discuss how they could support each other through indigenous ways.

“I’ve just experienced the opening this morning and it’s a way for us to experience each other’s practices through talking, communicating, meeting, exchanging culture, exchanging customs, culture, dance, language, and food.”

FestPac officially starts on Thursday evening, local time (Friday NZ time)

Team Aotearoa is making its presence known in numbers with winners of the biannual Kapa Haka competition, Te Matatini, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, set to perform around the main festival village at the Hawai’i Convention Center.

The Kīngitanga, Kīngi Tuheitia (The Māori King) is also here to take part in festivities.

Kīngi Tuheitia has met with leaders from across the Pacific since the Hui-ā-motu at Tūrangawaewae earlier this year to discuss important issues.

He will continue these talks at the first Traditional Pacific Leaders meeting in Hawai’i during the festival which runs from 6-16 June.

Team Tonga at FestPac. Photo/Khalia Strong