 "Photo: Maegan Burr")
Taukave Lauti has always respected his Tongan culture but said he values his culture more after learning more about Tongan history and contemporary issues impacting Pacific Islanders.
Lauti attended the U's Pacific Worlds and the American West conference held last weekend. "(This conference) has been a big help to better understand culture, and there are a lot of people who have become Americanized and need to know their culture," said Lauti, an undeclared freshman. "The real Polynesian culture is working together and helping each other, and that's here."
More than 70 presenters from around the United States and Pacific regions spoke about topics like education, identity, religion and cultural traditions. There were also four keynote addresses from prominent scholars in Pacific Islander studies. The conference was attended by over 300 community members, students and teachers from across the state who filled panel discussions and lectures at the Officers Club last weekend.
"I was hoping the community could come and see what we are doing here," said 'Anapesi Ka'ili, director of the Pacific Initiatives Program for the American West Center. "We need their support to do this work. You can't do a conference on Pacific Islanders without Pacific Islanders there."
Ka'ili said a major goal of the conference was to raise awareness about Pacific Islander scholarship and research from across the nation while highlighting the work Utahns are doing to support the state's Pacific Islander population. Utah has the largest population of Pacific Islanders in the American mainland.
Although Pacific Islanders are often the subject of research, Ka'ili said. The conference wasn't about the work outsiders have done but rather about Pacific Islanders talking about themselves, he said.
"What I hope students take from this is seeing Pacific Islander scholars represented in higher education," Ka'ili said. "The topics are both contemporary and historical, and you don't get that in the K-12 education system, so I hope students take what they can from (the conference)."
Jacob Fitisemanu, a recent graduate from Westminster College, presented his research on Samoan Ava (or Kava) Ceremonies in Salt Lake County and how cultural diffusion has changed these customs in the American West. Fitisemanu said the specific practice of these ceremonies has changed, but they are still an expression of identity and a way for participants to feel connected to their ancestors.
Topics such as how indigenous minority groups are represented in school curriculum were also discussed during the conference. Panel presenters focused on the importance of students having a strong understanding of their past and the positive impacts that a strong identity can have on their overall educational experience. Panelists said students in Hawaii have been successful in classes where Hawaiian language and history is taught.
"This (conference) has been a place for us to come together and create a community," said Caroline Falepapalangi, a sophomore in business administration. "It's very important to learn about our backgrounds because whatever we learn here, we give back to our community to uplift them."
c.norlen@chronicle.utah.edu
