DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM (DBEDT)MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION ON THE 13TH FESTIVAL OF
PACIFIC ARTS & CULTURE (FestPAC) MEETINGTUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 AT 9:00 AM
VIA VIRTUAL APPLICATION ZOOM: VIDEO / AUDIO CONFERENCE
Commission Members Present were:
J. Kalani English, Chair
Snowbird Bento
Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā
Māpuana de Silva
Misty Kelaʻi
Jamie Lum-

Monte McComber
Richard Onishi-

Senate President’s Designee
Community Member At-Large
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) Designee
Community Member At-Large
City and County of Honolulu Designee
Department of Business, Economic Development
and Tourism (DBEDT)
Governor’s Designee
House Speakerʻs Designee

Jacob Aki
Jackie Burke
Honey Maltin-Wisot
June Matsumoto
Kanoe Takitani-Puahi
Lynn Martin Graton
Maka Casson-Fisher
Malia Sanders
Ngahiraka Mason
T. Ilihia Gionson
Amber Jacroux BixelʻAukahi Austin Seabury
Mahina Paishon-Duarte
Dede Howa
Vilsoni Hereniko
Tricia Allen
Adam Jensen-

Senator English’s Office
Kahookele Art
Strategies 360
Pacific Island Institute (PII)
Mayor’s Office of Culture & Arts (MOCA)--Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association-Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association
Bishop Museum
Facilitator
Facilitator
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority----

Margaret Ahn
Marlene Hiraoka
Selma Malcolm-

Attorney General
DBEDT
DBEDT

Guests:Staff:

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. via ZOOMPage 2 of 11

Timothy Tiu

-

DBEDT

Apologies:
Mehana Hind

Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Designee

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, at 9:12
a.m., who welcomed everyone present via Zoom and Facebook.
FESTPAC PLANNING RETREAT
Welcome: Ms. de Silva•
Introductions & Ground Rules: Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā•
Public Testimony: none given•
Welcome Remarks: Chair English (9:22am)• Rare opportunity to have a “take 2”. Let’s dive into the work on how to move
forward. Let’s build on what we have done, move forward, and move into virtual
communication.
•
Review of the Regional Cultural Strategy by Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā• Ms. de Silva – Commission to align with the region’s cultural strategy
SESSION 1: 9:00AM -12:00PM (WITH BREAKS BUILT IN)
Facilitators: Mahina Paishon-Duarte & ʻAukahi Austin Seabury●

Welcoming remarks & objectives:○ Grounding Etiquette & Clarifying Questions● Where are we now?
○ Anchors & Barriers to Success■ Government & potential changes with upcoming elections■ Uncertainty due to Pandemic■ Availability of funding■ What value does FestPAC provide?
■ How do we message & articulate the value of FestPAC?
■ Where is the overseeing agency at?
■ Perceived connectivity challenges○ Our Work Now?
■ Any items that need to be addressed in order to move forward?
■ Everything we focus on today are things we can work on today- forwardfacing.
●

Mission & Vision Statement

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. via ZOOMPage 3 of 11○

Slide: Vision + Mission ~ Guiding Planning & Implementation = Transformation■ Vision = core ideology + envisioned future■ Articulation of the future you want to create (in honor of ourkūpuna, future generations & current context)● Target community● Products to targeting community● Why FestPAC exists● What makes 2024 special?
■ What is it not?
● Not a brand image or logo
○ Slide: Setting Vision:■ Who is the Vision intended for?
● For the world● For us the commission & staff to keep track of why we aredoing this. This is where we want to go.
● Framework to give guidance● For us as a people to recognize who we are in the things that wedo that set us apart from the Pacific. Who we are as all of
Hawai‘i and Kanaka ‘Ōiwi. Hawai‘i identity as a whole &Kanaka ‘Ōiwi identity.
● Intergenerational vision● Commissioners & general staff to contribute to discussion
now & general public later on.
● Telling a story with community stakeholders; building
engagement● All of the delegates & participants○ Intention can be far reaching (beyond fixed time period)○ Vision to be for the 5 years we have to plan
○ Lifechanging experiences● Paint the picture (Rep. Onishi)■ Who is guiding it?
● Starting small & staying small for now (Mr. McComber)● Commissioners & supporting staff (Rep. Onishi)○ We have to really believe in our vision before
sharing it with others● Vision to be more broad (Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā)○ Mission narrows you○ Then build out objectives & outcomes● If the vision drives the entire project? Doesn’t it need toappeal to all the participants○ Is this a vision for the commission, for the festival, or forboth?
● Agreed to focus on the commission for the vision. WhichMinutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. via ZOOMPage 4 of 11

will in turn guide how the festival will go.
■ What are their hopeful outcomes?
● Commissioners○ That it actually happens○ Uncertainty of Funding & Pandemic○ Safety, value, worth, continue to give to make better○ The next mayor will see the vision, embrace theculture of the arts, & support○ Funders will get on board○ A vision so strong that it defines what FestPAC is all
about■ For the world● Participant experience: That it was successful in the things
we stated before. To have growth changing experiences.
Experiences to dive deeper into the culture and traditionalarts we share.
● To make lifelong friendships. Tackle obstacles as they comealong and use resources. To leave the festival feeling like I can't
wait to go to the next festival.
●

Breakout sessions to discuss questions○ Hui A- PDF of Jam Board notes (See Attached)○ Hui E- PDF of Jam Board notes (See Attached)○ Hui I- PDF of Jam Board notes (See Attached)

Meeting recessed at 12:01pm.
Meeting reconvened at 1:02pm.

SESSION 2: 1:00 PM -4:00PM
Facilitators: Mahina Paishon-Duarte & ʻAukahi Austin Seabury● Draft Vision + Mission Statement:
Draft Vision
We envision Oceania united by our arts and culture, guided by our ancestral values anda heritage of innovation, rising to the challenges of an ever-changing world.
Draft Mission
Through hosting the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture, we will strengthen thephysical and cultural resilience of our peoples and communities by forging connections
throughout Oceania to share culture and practices, to learn and grow, to adapt to achanging climate, and to elevate our peoples together.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. via ZOOMPage 5 of 11●

Feedback for revising Vision & Mission drafts:○ Ms. de Silva - question regarding balance between vision & Mission.
○ Chair English- Who are “we”? The commission? We (commissioners) should
not be like demi- gods to dictate the vision. “Envision” is too broad. Narrow it to
the Festival. The vision is about the Festival of the Pacific.
○ Switch the word guided to the word grounded.
○ Ms. Bento- what does the commission envision to pull us towards the goal of
hosting the Oceanic wide festival.
○ Missing components:■ What are we striving for?
■ If someone asked you to explain the festival in one or two sentences what
would they be?
■ Where are we going?

●

Objectives & Outcomes○ Draft Key Objectives:• Zero waste carbon neutral• Deep and lasting network building• Produce a financially solvent, safe, successful and organized evento operations• Bring together• Share culture
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Provide a positive experience for all, inclusive of all abilities
o operations & metrico Outreacho Feedback surveys to measure outcome
Spark curiosity, find out more about each other
Safe and healthy delegates and hosts
Showcase and share traditional and pure aspects of cultureo strategy
Engage and provide experiences for special needs in ourcommunities to include themWrite curricula for built-in learning experiences for public andprivate schools
Interdisciplinary opportunities to attend that aligns with festival
Promote leadership and community building for a regenerative Oceaniao (dare to do more)
Sustainability throughout the Pacific
Personal growth and fulfillment
Professional development to grow and advance skills (non gig)
Expansion for access for platforms for broader access, varying
technologies to address such things as data collection,

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. via ZOOMPage 6 of 11•••comments/feedback from participants, “hybridity” and innovation
Leverage technology to innovate for access to and participationin the festival.
o strategy
Real intentional effort for the innovation; opportunities for thetech community to collaborate (ie. purple mai`a)
A catalyst to other things●

Keep top 5 or cut to 3?
○ Do these objectives give us a means to the vision/mission○ Chair English - agrees with revisions○ Rep. Onishi- agrees with revisions○ Ms. Bento - question regarding word “access” for technology. Remove“sustainability”- Chair English agreed.
○ Ms. Austin Seabury- remove word “consistency & enduring”- Chair English
agreed○ Mr. Gionson.- add participation○ Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā - add regenerative○ Do these reference the vision & mission statement?

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Draft Outcomes:○ How to get this objective done?

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Theme: Facilitated by ʻAukahi Austin Seabury:○ Connected to vision & mission○ Think about the vision:■ What do our lāhui need right now?
■ What do we need us to be? FestPAC to be?
■ The statement that colors the vision & mission○ Chair English: Regenerating Oceania. Oceania now. Oceania Together as atheme to build on and play on imagination to explore the festival.
○ Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā: Idea of wholeness, completeness. Feel isolated, challenged.
Get back to the core of strength, wholeness. Strength as island nations. Island
communities, Island nations. Reassurance, abundance, wholeness, fullness.
○ Ms. Kelaʻi: What the world needs now is Love sweet Love (in song). Aloha for
Oceania. Aloha for All.
○ Rep. Onishi: Rejuvenating Oceania through Culture and Arts
○ Ms. Bento: Akamai- thriving Oceania. Inspiration in Ho‘oulu. Abundance in
Ho‘oulu. Prosperity in Ho‘oulu. Regenerative process to our outcomes.
○ Chair English - E Hoʻoulu Oceania: Regenerating Oceania through culture andarts○ Ms. de Silva - add to Ms. Bento to add Lāhui. Hoʻoulu Lāhui. I Hoʻokahi Kahi
Ke AlohaMinutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
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Ms. Lum: Grounded in our roots and innovating for the future
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā: like those that play on words that aren’t so literal. Findthe ‘ōlelo no‘eau to reference from line or mele.
Chair English: Wants it to be concise and able to be translated into otherlanguages easily. “Aloha” goes across the Pacific Islands. “Oceania”
Ms. Austin Seabury: How important is it to be universal?
■ Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā: want to advocate to support ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i■ Ms. de Silva: this is the time to experience Hawai‘i and ‘Ōlelo Hawaii
Chair English: Aloha, Hoʻoulu, Lāhui, pure culture, something to learn about
us. The theme is to show our uniqueness. What is the real Hawaiian ideal thatcan get communicated that helps us to implement. What can we build fromour collective for those 3 words?
Ms. Bento: E Hoʻoulu Lāhui Me Ke Aloha
Chair English: E Hoʻoulu Lāhui Aloha. Regenerating Oceania.
Chair English: Ho’oulu Lāhui
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā: does not like the reference to Pandemic
Ms. de Silva: how do we gather all these statements to come together as lei.
Gather them to place where they belong.

2 minutes Break & Facilitator change● Facilitator: Mahina Paishon-Duarte○ Recap themes discussed○ Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā: good progress, but not there yet. Need more time to marinate.
○ Chair English: Lāhui- people of the pacific. Ho’oulu- regenerative○ Review Mana‘o for festival elements- sub themes to crystalize the overall theme● Recap of our Work:○ Draft Vision Statement○ Draft Mission Statement○ Draft Objectives & Outcomes○ Draft Theme○ Ms. de Silva: Ask if commission can have time to think about statements
before agreeing to final statement.
● What are the top 3 things we need to do together (by the next FestPAC meeting)?
Follow up on Ms. de Silva’s suggestion to contemplate and meditate withthose around us regarding these drafts. (Chair English)○ Operational level: what kinds of programs, venue, schedule to we want tooffer that align with these drafts as well as Organization chart & roles andresponsibilities. (Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā & Ms. de Silva)○ Another retreat in the future to work on big chunks of kuleana. (Ms. de Silva &○Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. via ZOOMPage 8 of 11

Rep. Onishi)○ What can we contract out moving forward?
● Group Evaluation:○ What worked?
■ People were prepared■ Active Participation■ Hearing each other■ Breakout sessions help to get ideas out■ Appreciate our work together as a commission■ Mahalo to Mahina Paishon-Duarte & ʻAukahi Austin Seabury forsteering us & commissioners that invited them
■ Mahalo to the support team
■ Retreat format helps to focus & get to end goal
○ What can be improved?
■ No suggestions○ What did we learn?
■ We can retreat virtually■ Having a plan and assistance with external facilitators■ Mahina Paishon-Duarte & ʻAukahi Austin Seabury are the right fit forthis context■ Want to put on the best festival under the conditions we have.
Everyone is committed to success.
■ Committed group to the best FestPAC ever.
● He Mahalo○ Ms. Bento: share mele – ENUA MANEA
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Chair English invited anyone from the public to offer comments. He asked if they wished togive their name and organization they are representing.
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Tricia Allen: Instructor at Leeward○ Translation of Hawaiian words into other oceanic languages● Caroline Yacoe- DBA- pacific pathways. Has attended 6 FestPAC festivals.
Hope it can be in an outdoor format. Those have been the most successful.
○ Mission statement- changes in the arts reflect the changes in cultures○ Book on the history of the FestPAC with history and underlying themes● Ngahiraka Mason: So excited for the commission. Excited for Aotearoa to follow.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. via ZOOMPage 9 of 11○

Negative impacts- did not hear any mention of Intellectual Property or
Indigenous Knowledge. Publishing on festivals and other knowledge.
● Jackie Burke: Artist. Mahalo for invite. Integrating more into her proposal.
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Vilsoni Hereniko: from Rotuma (part of Fiji). Professor of creative media at UH.
Attended 5 festivals. Cook islands was unforgettable.
○ Opportunity for Hawai‘i to be included in the Oceania family because of US
affiliation. Opportunity to show the rest of the Pacific who we are. Enjoy
discussions & facilitators.

Summary of key items:● Draft Vision
We envision Oceania united by our arts and culture, guided by our ancestralvalues and a heritage of innovation, rising to the challenges of an everchanging world.
●

Draft Mission
Through hosting the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture, we will strengthen thephysical and cultural resilience of our peoples and communities by forging
connections throughout Oceania to share culture and practices, to learn and grow, toadapt to a changing climate, and to elevate our peoples together.

●

Draft Key Outcomes + Objectives• Produce a financially solvent, safe, healthy, successful and organized event• Provide a positive experience for all, inclusive of people of all abilities• Showcase and share traditional and pure aspects of culture• Promote leadership and community building for a regenerative Oceania• Leverage technology to innovate for access to and participation in the festival●

Draft Theme:○ Hoʻoulu Lāhui – Regenerating Oceania●

What are the top (3) three things we need to do together?
Contemplate and meditate with those around us regarding
draft vision/mission/objectives/outcomes/theme.
• Operational & Tactical: what do we want to look at so we can put in deeper
thinking about schedule/program/org chart/roles and responsibilities.
• Schedule another day-long retreat to tackle big chunks of kuleana.
• Do we want to still be a working commission? Set up expectations?
Delegate? Contractor?
•

Agenda items that we did not get to:• Org Chart & Roles Responsibilities• Proposed Practices to be offered• Program Schedule• Venues• Org Chart & Roles Responsibilities• Type▪ Mechanistic vs. Organic▪ Functional▪ Product Based▪ Market Based▪ Geographical▪ Process Based▪ Matrix Structure▪ Circular▪ Flat▪ NetworkHowmuch authority are we willing to delegate?
•• Who gets to decide what?
• Are there triggers for decisions making?
• Proposed Practices to be offered• Traditional vs. Modern• How many is too many?
• What are the most common?
• What would be a novel one to offer not included in prior festivals?
• What are absolute must have practices?
ProgramSchedule•• Blocking the schedule• Thematic groupings• Venues• Is it in our budget• Does it meet the requirements of the practices to be offered there• Parking• Traffic• Distance from housing and main festival village• Handicap accessible• Cultural requirements, e.g. natural floor, open ceiling, etc.

CLOSING REMARKS
Mr. Kaʻanāʻanā○ Next check-in on 9/29?
● Chair English:●

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. via ZOOMPage 11 of 11○

Next meeting not scheduled yet. Should we do this format for the next meeting?
● Ms. de Silva:○ Suggested keep the format and schedule next meeting for 9/22 at 9am-4pm
NEXT MEETING● Agreed to next Meeting scheduled for 9/22/20 at 9am-4pm
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 3:49 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,

Senator J. Kalani English
Chair

10/19/20
Date

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