6 March 2012

Kiribati will be there in three days time!

Kam na mauri. Helping the Pasifika Festival celebrate 20 years will be a Kiribati weaver who has been participating in the Festival for a decade.

Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) Event Producer Ole Maiava says Louisa Humphrey (Ueen Kiribati) has been attending the Pasifika Festival since 2002 and has an innovative approach to her weaving.

“Ms. Humphrey is a traditional weaver of mats, hats, baskets, using pandanus leaves. The difference is pandanus doesn’t grow in New Zealand, so she improvises with flax leaves.

“Her skills will be evident in the dancing costumes and the traditional fishing hats unique to Kiribati.”

Sample traditional foods unique to Kiribati such as te katini ben (made from the sap of the flowers and flesh of the coconut), te tuae (dried pandanus fruit), te kamaimai (coconut toddy) and te baan (pancake with grated coconut and toddy).

Lock it in your calendar, dust off your sunnies and be part of Pasifika Festival 2012.
Ends
Notes
• Interviews available with Ms. Humphrey
• This year Pasifika celebrates 20 years of celebrating Pacific culture in Auckland
• Friday 9 March, 7pm - 9pm, the Pasifika Festival Opening Night Concert will feature guest artists and performances from 10 different cultures
• Saturday 10 March, 10am - 5pm, Pasifika Festival Day will see the park transformed into 10 villages from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Tokelau, Niue, Tahiti, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Aotearoa. Each village will offer food, art, dance and music.
• Entry is FREE, and for the first time the park will be fenced with six entrances located on Great North Road (x2), Motions Road, Stadium Rd, and near Western Springs Stadium and Auckland Zoo.
• Visit: http://www.aucklandnz.com/pasifika for more information

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