10th Festival of Pacific Arts | Introduction
Mihi
I te tīmatanga ko te kupu ko Te Atua te kupu
Ko Te Atua ano tāua kupu i te tīmatanga
Kia whakapaitia whakakororiatia tona ingoa tapu
Ngā whakarei kua pae ki uta. Te hunga taki mano kua riro ki te po. Koutou kua riro hai taurapa mo ngā waka tipuna, koutou kua hipa atu ki te po nui te po roa te po tangotango, te po o te otinga ka po, ka po, ka awatea. Tatou ngā mahuetanga o ratou ma ngā mihi maioha kia tatou.
Introduction
From 20 July to 2 August 2008, a Creative New Zealand-led delegation will participate in the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts in Pago Pago, American Samoa. Creative New Zealand will select a combination of accomplished and emerging artists from within the Māori and New Zealand-based Pacific communities. They will represent the best of traditional and contemporary arts from Aotearoa and ensure our distinctive voices are heard on an international stage.
The Festival of Pacific Arts was created in 1972 in response to the threat of the erosion of traditional. This remains the primary objective of the festival.
The festival enables the 27 Pacific countries and territories to come together and exchange ideas, knowledge, skills and techniques. It is a celebration of our sameness and differences. The aho (strand) that weaves everything together is the art, culture, language and artists from each country.
The 2008 festival will be held in Pago Pago, situated on the island of Tutuila, the largest island of American Samoa.
