20 September, 2020
To: Commissioners of the 13th FestPac
From: Vilsoni Hereniko
Re: Testimony for meeting on 22 September, 2020
I wish to thank the Commissioners for inviting testimonies from the general public forconsideration. Here's one from me:
The arts and cultures of Oceania has been my main interest and I have written about
them, including the Festival of Pacific Arts, over my 40 years experience as an educator
at the University of the South Pacific (10 years) and the University of Hawaiʻi (30years).
My first festival was in 1972, when Fiji hosted the first. I was still a high school student
then, but the experience is etched in my memory. I attended four others, and was aparticipant in one of them, when my film "The Land Has Eyes" screened at the one heldin Palau and I was part of the Fiji delegation. As you can imagine, I am more thanpleased that Hawaiʻi will be hosting the 13th festival in 2024.
After listening to the deliberations at the last meeting, I wanted to bring this idea foryour consideration. It is inspired by the pandemic, which has thrown into stark relief theneed for the residents of Hawai'i to the past to inform the future, especially in the area offood security.
Imagine that at the 13th Festival, we make kalo, niu, and ulu a central focus, fromwhich other aspects of arts and cultures radiate. As well as the old, we encourage thecreation of new songs, new choregraphies and dances, new plays, new films, newartworks, etc. and we celebrate the importance of these three foods to sustain us now
and into the future.
For example, in the case of niu, we encourage carvings from the trunks of niu, theweaving of baskets, fans and hats from its coconut fronds, the making of sennit/cordage,
jewellry from the coconut shell, aloha shirt designs, slam poetry etc. inspired by niu, andmore. In the case of kalo, we showcase how to make poi and we tell of the origin of taro
as an older sibling and how connected Hawaiians were and are to the land, and we holdseminars on the different kinds of taro and their uses, we empower and honor the folks
who have maintained our connections to the land, we show films about taro, and so on.
We can do the same thing with ulu! We partner with local and non-profit organizations
that are promoting the use of these three foods and we get them excited too. We get thedifferent islands to showcase how they prepare these three foods for consumption andwe share and eat with each other. We learn from them, and they learn from us too. And
we think about how to get the message out to schools (some of this work is being done at
the moment) and we get the school children and their teachers excited and involved sothey would want to incorporate the festivalʻs activities into their teaching andcurriculum. The possibilities are endless.

1

I am merely planting a "seed" here, and from this seed, I am sure your esteemedcommisioners can grow the forest.
I thank all of you esteemed commissioners for your commitment to hosting the 13th
Festival of Pacific Arts and Cultures.

2

Page 1

September 8, 2020
FestPAC Planning Retreat
Call to Order: 9:12am
Session 1: 9am-12am (with breaks built in)
•
•
•
•

•

Welcome: Māpuana de Silva
Introductions & Ground Rules: Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā
Public Testimony: none given
Welcome Remarks: Senator English (9:22am)o 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 Kalani Kaʻanāʻanāo Māpuana de Silva to align with the region’s cultural strategy

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- forward facing.
Mission & Vision Statement○ Slide: Vision + Mission ~ Guiding Planning & Implementation = Transformation■ Vision = core ideology + envisioned future■ Articulation of the future you want to create (in honor of our kūpuna, 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?

Page 2
●
●

■

■

■

For the world
For us the commission & staff to keep track of why we are doing 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 we do 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 (M.M)● Commissioners & supporting staff (Rep Onishi)○ We have to really believe in our vision before sharing it withothers● Vision to be more broad (K.K.)○ Mission narrows you○ Then build out objectives & outcomes● If the vision drives the entire project? Doesn’t it need to appeal to all
the participants○ Is this a vision for the commission, for the festival, or for both?
● Agreed to focus on the commission for the vision. Which 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 the culture of thearts, & 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 traditional arts we share.
● To make lifelong friendships. Tackle obstacles as they come along anduse resources. To leave the festival feeling like I can't wait to go to thenext festival.

Page 3●

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)

LUNCH 12pm-1pm
Meeting Reconvened at 1:02pm
Session 2: 1pm-4pm
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 and aheritage 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 the physical andcultural resilience of our peoples and communities by forging connections throughout Oceania toshare culture and practices, to learn and grow, to adapt to a changing climate, and to elevate
our peoples together.

●

Feedback for revising Vision & Mission drafts:○ M.D.- question regarding balance between vision & Mission.
○ M.K- Who are “we”? The commission? We (commissioners) should not be like demigods 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.
○ SB- 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 event• operations
 Bring together
 Share culturePage 4

















Provide a positive experience for all, inclusive of all abilities• operations & metric• Outreach• 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 culture• strategy
Engage and provide experiences for special needs in our communities toinclude themWrite curricula for built-in learning experiences for public and private
schools
Interdisciplinary opportunities to attend that aligns with festival
Promote leadership and community building for a regenerative Oceania• (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, comments/feedback fromparticipants, “hybridity” and innovation
Leverage technology to innovate for access to and participation in thefestival.
• strategy
Real intentional effort for the innovation; opportunities for the techcommunity 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○ K.E.- agrees with revisions○ R.O.- agrees with revisions○ S.B.- question regarding word “access” for technology. Remove “sustainability”- K.E.
agreed.
○ A.A- remove word “consistency & enduring”- K.E. agreed○ I.G.- add participation○ K.K.- add regenerative○ Do these reference the vision & mission statement?

●

Draft Outcomes:○ How to get this objective done?

●

Theme: Facilitated by ʻAukahi:○ 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

Page 5
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○

K.E: Regenerating Oceania. Oceania now. Oceania Together as a theme to build on andplay on imagination to explore the festival.
K.K.: Idea of wholeness, completeness. Feel isolated, challenged. Get back to the coreof strength, wholeness. Strength as island nations. Island communities, Island nations.
Reassurance, abundance, wholeness, fullness.
M.K: What the world needs now is Love sweet Love (in song). Aloha for Oceania. Aloha
for All.
R.O: Rejuvenating Oceania through Culture and Arts
S.B: Akamai- thriving Oceania. Inspiration in Ho‘oulu. Abundance in Ho‘oulu. Prosperityin Ho‘oulu. Regenerative process to our outcomes.
K.E.- E Hoʻoulu Oceania: Regenerating Oceania through culture and arts
M.D.- add to S.B. to add Lāhui. Hoʻoulu Lāhui. I Hoʻokahi Kahi Ke Aloha
J.L: Grounded in our roots and innovating for the future
K.K: like those that play on words that aren’t so literal. Find the ‘ōlelo no‘eau toreference from line or mele.
K.E: Wants it to be concise and able to be translated into other languages easily. “Aloha”
goes across the Pacific Islands. “Oceania”
A.A.: How important is it to be universal?
■ K.K: want to advocate to support ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i■ MD: this is the time to experience Hawai‘i and ‘Ōlelo Hawaii
K.E: Aloha, Hoʻoulu, Lāhui, pure culture, something to learn about us. The theme is toshow our uniqueness. What is the real Hawaiian ideal that can get communicated thathelps us to implement. What can we build from our collective for those 3 words?
S.B: E Hoʻoulu Lāhui Me Ke Aloha
K.E: E Hoʻoulu Lāhui Aloha. Regenerating Oceania.
K.E: Ho’oulu Lāhui
K.K: does not like the reference to Pandemic
M.D: how do we gather all these statements to come together as lei. Gather them toplace where they belong.

2 minute Break & Facilitator change● Facilitator: Mahina○ Recap themes discussed○ KK: good progress, but not there yet. Need more time to marinate.
○ KE: 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○ MD: 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)?

Page 6○●●

Follow up on Māpuana’s suggestion to contemplate and meditate with those around us
regarding these drafts. (KE)○ Operational level: what kinds of programs, venue, schedule to we want to offer thatalign with these drafts as well as Organization chart & roles and responsibilities. (KK &MD)○ Another retreat in the future to work on big chunks of kuleana. (MD & RO)○ 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 & ʻAukahi for steering 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 & ʻAukahi are the right fit for this context■ Want to put on the best festival under the conditions we have. Everyone iscommitted to success.
■ Committed group to the best FestPAC ever.
He Mahalo○ SB: share mele – ENUA MANEA

Call for Public Comment
●
●

●

●

Tricia Allen: Instructor at Leeward○ Translation of Hawaiian words into other oceanic languages
Carline Yacoe- DBA- pacific pathways. Has attended 6 FestPAC festivals. Hope it can be inan 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
N. Mason: So excited for the commission. Excited for Aotearoa to follow.
○ 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.

Page 7●

V. 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.

●●

Closing remarks by Senator English
Closing remarks by Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā○ Next check-in on 9/29?
Senator English:○ Next meeting not scheduled yet. Should we do this format for the next meeting?
Māpuana de Silva:○ Suggested keep the format and schedule next meeting for 9/22 at 9am-4pm
Agreed to next Meeting scheduled for 9/22/20 at 9am-4pm●●●

Adjournment at 3:49pm
Summary of key items:● Draft Vision
We envision Oceania united by our arts and culture, guided by our ancestral values and aheritage 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 the physical andcultural resilience of our peoples and communities by forging connections throughout Oceania toshare culture and practices, to learn and grow, to adapt 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?

Page 8Agenda 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• Network• How much 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?
Program Schedule• 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.

HUI A - 1

HUI A - 2

HUI A - 3

HUI A - 4

HUI A - 5

HUI A - 6

HUI A - 7

HUI E - 1

HUI E - 2

HUI E - 3

HUI E - 4

HUI E - 5

HUI E - 6

HUI E - 7

HUI I - 1

HUI I - 2

HUI I - 3

HUI I - 4

HUI I - 5

HUI I - 6

HUI I - 7

September 18, 2020
TO:
FR:
RE:

Dennis Ling, DBEDT
Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā, Commissioner
S360
FestPAC Hawaiʻi Website & Social MediaThis memo provides a brief overview of work performed from September 5-September 18, 2020. It
details the project deliverables and next steps.

OVERVIEW
S360 has continuously maintained and updated the FestPAC website and social media pages as Hawaiʻimoves ahead with planning for the 2024 festival. We continue to monitor media and website inquiries andpost on FestPAC’s social media platforms, as approved.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES
•
•

•
•

Website: Continue to monitor email inquiries and submissions from website email.
Social media posts across all platforms as approved by designated FestPAC Hawaiʻi
commissioner.
o Facebook continues to be the dominant platform.
o Facebook now has 2,570 followers.
o Recent posts
o 9/18/20: Meeting notification (FB, IG, Twitter)o 9/16/20: Virtual First for the Pacific reached 354
o 9/5/20: Tweet re: Vanuatu quakeo 9/4/20: Meeting notification post reached 1.2K
Respond or redirect inquiries via social media, as directed.
Monitored social media and media for festival-related posts.

ONGOING COMMUNICATION•

Continuing communication with designated FestPAC Hawaiʻi Commission supervisor.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS••

Festpachawaii.org has had more than 1K pageviews in the last month and website use is up 73%.
Instagram: FestPAC Hawaiʻi has 532 followers.

NEXT STEPS•

Ongoing management of website and social media pages.

• 851 FORT STREET MALL, SUITE 500 • HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I 96813 • (808) 524-1100

2|Page•••

In raising the profile of FestPAC, S360 is awaiting content from all commissioners except:
Kumu Māpuana de Silva, Kumu Snowbird Bento, Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā. This content will be sharedon social media with a link to the FestPAC Hawaiʻi website.
Continue scheduled posts on social media, as approved.
Continue to compile assets for FestPAC Hawaiʻi promotion on social media.

• 851 FORT STREET MALL, SUITE 500 • HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I 96813 • (808) 524-1100