Samoa
Samoa Club President Julia Sio said the girls wore a blue and black “puletasi,” a two-piece outfit consisting of a top piece and skirt called a “sulu.” The words “pule” and “tasi,” she added, mean power or authority and being one. The puletasi represents one’s ownership over the body and how they dress, she shared.
Sio, a senior from Samoa majoring in information technology, said the puletasi is the traditional dress that women wear for certain occasions such as funerals or attending church. She said it is worn to protect the important parts of their body and to show respect to their families. In addition, she said girls will be wearing an “ula sisi,” or shell necklace, and a “sei,” or flower, in their ears, representing their love for and desire for sharing their culture with others.
The boys wore the same print as the girls: a black and blue “ie lavalava,” said Sio, which was tied and tucked in underneath their belly. The way it is tied is called “sulu faasigiki” and represents the way it’s normally worn in Samoa while doing everyday tasks, she added.
“The whole theme of our Culture Night performance and costumes links to the … meaning we are from Samoa [and] trying to remember the culture we were raised in and grew up with.”
Sio shared the boys also wore “ula lauti,” “tauvae,” or tea leaf necklaces and the “ula nifo,” or tooth necklace. The ula lauti and the tauvae are worn to protect the body from the heat of an “‘umu,” or earth oven, and from the sun, she added.
Growing up, Sio said she was taught by her grandparents to use what the land provides to protect themselves. In Samoa, Sio said people chase a lot of pigs and wild animals because their ancestors figured out they could carve pig’s teeth and then use as a necklace.
“Our strength is [our] creativity of [using] different things that we get out of the land. We wear them to embrace our culture.”
Hawaii
Robert Lono Ikuwa from Honolulu, Hawaii, is the cultural director for the Hawaiian Club for Culture Night. He said members of the Hawaiian Club wore a “kihei,” which is a rectangular tapa garment worn over one shoulder and tied in a knot. They wore red, white and blue, he added.
In Hawaiian culture, the color blue represents the life-giving force of water to both land and mankind, explained Ikuwa. He said the theme of the performance was “Ola i ka Wai,” which translates to “water gives life.” For the first number, he said the performers did a chant called “Aia i hea ka wai a Kane,” which means “Where art the water of Kane,” describing the water cycle in its different forms.
Ikuwa shared the color white represents the purity of truth and how truth will conquer. “We believe in the principle of reciprocity and righteous redress. Our intent is pure and based on truth.”
Red symbolizes “the fire within” and the passion and loyalty to “ali’i” and “kupuna,” said Ikuwa. “The fire grows as we continue to educate ourselves and bring warmth to the soul and destruction and healing from past wrongs.” The final number described the ongoing fight for justice and peace for Hawaii, he added.
Aotearoa
Aotearoa Club President Devon Beatson said their costumes reflected different animals, their symbolism and links to their culture. The green in their dresses and adorning pieces, she said, represents the “haka,” which is about a green gecko.
Beatson, a senior psychology major from Ahipara, New Zealand, said performers wore black feathers with a white tip for their opening number, a dance which told the story of a “toroa” bird, or albatross.
Beatson explained, “In our culture, these represent leadership and mana, which is something we hope all of our club members will take out with them.” •