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We just happened to be lucky enough to live in American Samoa while it hosted the 10th Festival of the Pacific Arts. It's a huge event, held every four years, to celebrate the traditions of the polynesian, 
micronesian, and melanesian cultures from 20-something different Pacific island nations.We spent the week and a half of the Festival running around trying to see everything! I walked to Utulei every day during lunch to see the performances and check out the Festival Village; every evening we went to more performances. It was
exhausting, but so much fun! There is usually so little to do on this island that we were determined to see as much as we could while it was here. We went to the Opening Ceremony and just happened to get front row seats, right next to the track on the ground level. The only downside was that we were in the back so not all of the countries actually made t heir way all the way around the track to us. Those that did were incredible!
exhausting, but so much fun! There is usually so little to do on this island that we were determined to see as much as we could while it was here. We went to the Opening Ceremony and just happened to get front row seats, right next to the track on the ground level. The only downside was that we were in the back so not all of the countries actually made t heir way all the way around the track to us. Those that did were incredible!We saw:
Australia. The guys with the bows and arrows (2nd picture) are warriors from a small island group right off the coast. They were pretty fierce-looking. If I were an explorer, I'm pretty sure their intimidating dance would have kept me on the boat.
The Cook Islands. I was especially interested in their dancing because my dance teacher is from the Cook Islands.
Fiji.
Guam.
Hawaii.
Niue, Tonga, Kiribati, but none of the pictures turned out.
New Caledonia.
Maoris from New Zealand danced the haka - I always wanted to see that!
Palau.
Papau New Guinea.
The other Samoa even brought out the fire-knife dancers.
I was immediately in awe of the pan pipers from the Solomon Islands. They play bamboo pan pipes and dance around at the same time. The music they play is very upbeat and happy sounding- made only more enjoyable by the dancing that they do while they play.
Tahiti.
Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
Tonga.
Wallis & Futuma, with a tin can and wooden box as drums.
And last but not least, the representatives from the island nation of San Diego!
Wallis & Futuma, with a tin can and wooden box as drums.
And last but not least, the representatives from the island nation of San Diego!
The Opening Ceremony was amazing! It was a great way to see a little bit of what we would be treated to over the next week and a half.
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