Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On Thursday, May 09, 2024, the American Samoa Government- Hawaii (ASG-HI) office convened a monthly Town Hall meeting at Kanana Fou Hall in Oahu, Hawaii, in anticipation of the upcoming Samoan Heritage Festival to take place at Ke’ehi Lagoon Park on June 15, 2024.

The festival will kick off with a parade and Cultural Games. Subsequent events include the Spiritual Night or Fa'aevagalia and the Heritage Festival opening church service on June 16, 2024, followed by a Cultural or Aganu'u Night featuring local community performances on June 17, 2024.

The meeting saw a gathering of religious leaders, youth leaders, military representatives, local leaders, community partners, local businesses and private sector individuals, all coming together to receive updates and plans for their respective roles in the festival.

Key highlights of the meeting included Kesimale Fano providing a detailed rundown of the festival’s schedule for each day, along with confirming participation of various organizations. Notably, the Cultural Games event will see involvement from ten organizations, leading to the establishment of a dedicated Cultural Games committee comprising active community volunteers and youth leaders to ensure smooth coordination.

During the question and answer session, Reverend Elder Falelua Lafitaga raised inquiries about the Parade participation listing, stressing the importance of individual consent for involvement. ASG-HI office Director Tuiafono reaffirmed the office’s commitment to engaging and inviting participation from the Samoan Community and religious sects, emphasizing that participation is at the discretion of each organization or individual.

Engagement in community outreach was extensively discussed, including representation at the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC 2024). Guest speakers, included Felea’i Tau from the Hawai’i Governor’s Office, who shared insights about the Home Energy Rebates program along with FestPAC community Liaison Toalua Samifua sharing volunteer opportunities at the upcoming Festival.

Additionally, John Niko Patu, a PhD student in the Hawaiian and Indigenous Language Program at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo highlighted initiatives aimed at promoting Samoan language literacy and cultural preservation with Patu offering free online Samoan language classes.

The evening concluded with Herman Monico from the Blood Bank of Hawaii as the last speaker, encouraging the community to get involved in the ASG-HI office blood drive and give back by giving life through blood donation emphasizing our collective effort to combat the national blood shortage crisis. The partnership with the Blood Bank of Hawai’i aims to collect 25 pints of blood with 40 open appointments, emphasizing the importance of community support in this initiative.

For more information about the free Samoan language classes, email info@samoanamedia.com or visit their website at www.samoanamedia.com.

To learn more about the ASG-HI blood drive and Samoan Heritage Festival updates please visit the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/asgov.hi or contact the American Samoa Government - Hawai’i office at (808) 847-1998.

NOTE: Samoan cultural games have not been clarified in Samoan Heritage Festival press releases. Although, the Samoan Heritage Festival Cricket Tournament Opening at Ke'ehi Lagoon occurred on May 4th. However, other than “kirikiti”, it’s not known what other cultural games are slated for the festival.