Pacific Arts Festival…Culture is Beautiful!

Natural Polynesian beauty.
Every four years, the āFestival des Marquisesā brings representatives from all over the Marquesas Islands and around the Pacific to celebrate the culture that makes each island unique. Food, dance, traditional medicine, palm and pandanus leaf weaving, tattooing, sculpture, and various other cultural arts were performed and shared with the other islanders and guests from all over the world (most arriving by sailboat!) Groups from Marquesas, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and the Pacific Northwest performed spectacular traditional dances. This was a very special event. They were not dancing for tourists; I was lucky to be one of not many āoutsidersā. They were dancing for the pride of their islands, for each other, for their past, and to carry forth what remains of the ways of their ancestors. The old ways everywhere are slowly dying. There is no going back. And as always, modernity brings the bad with the goodā¦But I was delighted by the amount of time, energy, and spirit that the islanders invested in this celebration and preservation of culture.

Ua Pou 'haka' warrior.

Unbelievable costumes, made mostly from nature's charms. These black seeds can be gathered in the mountains.
The menās grunting and booming āhakaā dances were so powerful, it seemed as if the ancestorsā voices joined in too. There was a force nearly tangible in the vibration of their low and guttural āhoās and heyāsā–enough to briefly transport all of us back in time. Despite my secret yearning to dress up in leaves,Ā seeds, and flowers, I would NOT want to go to battle against those men!!

Traditionally, tatoos marked family emblems, stories, lineage, status, and/or a person's qualities.

Dancer from the Pacific Northwest.

Rapa Nui (Easter Island) 'haka' dancer.
On the last of the four-day festival, everyone came together for a night of music. The representatives from all islands were at liberty to take the stage in a loosely organized concert. The stage was set atop an ancient āmaraeā or ceremonial site beside the bay. Young and old, from all over the world gathered on the grass under a throng of South Pacific stars and the humbling silhouette of the islandās crater.

The New Caledonian group's funky beats and sweet voices stole the show! Photo courtesy of Mckenzie Clark
The music was other worldly and the mood so positive!ā¦Hearing the young Marquesan reggae band and the incredible mix of voices in the New Caledonian group, I forgot all about mourning the cultural past. That evening was dedicated to the āculture of the presentā, and those performing gave me every cause to celebrate the here and nowā¦
2 Comments
Katie and Mark
April 3, 2012Spectacular photos and story. What an amazing cultural display – thanks so much for sharing.
Katie and Mark
Tiki God
April 4, 2012Liz:
Thanks for the great pics. Very timely as I am just finishing reading Typee.
Nice to see the Pae Paes too. Imagine them being the same ones Melville saw.
Awesome!