The theme was inspired by a Cook Island legend, says president of the Cook Island Club
President of the Cook Island Club Harlie Fa’alogo, a freshman majoring in psychology from Australia, said the Cook Island theme for Culture Night was to honor “our loved ones. Whether they have passed on or we are away from them.”
Fa’alogo explained the club’s theme camefrom the Cook Island legend Ati’Ve. “Ati’Ve was the son of an underworld Momoke (albino) who [was] separated from her husband and child to return home. Ati’Ve means
separation.”
According to Fa’alogo, the first dance is called a Kapa Rima, which is a slow-beat song. “We are dancing about the separation each of us knows and feels from our loved ones. We then will go into our Ura Pa’u, which is a faster beat. As the Plan of Salvation, it is a celebration of knowing we will be with our loved ones again. Whether on this earth or after, it will be a happy reunion.”
Joining Cook Island Club
Senior Anatevka Ah Loy, a senior majoring in English from Hawai’i, described how her experience performing in Cooks Islands Culture Night 2018 influenced her decision to perform again in Culture Night 2023. Ah Loy explained, “I was in Cook Islands for the 2018 Culture Night, and it was so much fun. Maybe I am biased, but I think we were the best performance.”
Sumiya Munkhbaatar, a sophomore finance major from Mongolia, said, “I have come to love their [Cook Islands] dance, music, and culture through my work and friends... [and] I wanted to be a part of it.”
Lauren Gunnell, a senior from Washington state majoring in hospitality and tourism management, commented, “I just think [Cook Island Māori] is a beautiful culture ,and I honestly didn’t know too much about it... So I jump(ed) in and learned straight from the source.”
Embracing the culture
Fa’alogo explained how Cook Island Club encouraged and enjoyed participation of people from other cultures.
She remarked, “I am a big advocate for all cultures to join and immerse themselves into the Cook Island culture. I myself am not a Cook Islander, but I have felt the outpouring of love and family unit that this culture and its people have given me.”
She expressed, “I want [other students] to feel loved, welcomed and needed. It doesn’t matter where you have come from and what path you have walked, there is always a place for you.”
Gunnell shared, “I think the instructors have done a really good job at teaching. I’ve really come to understand it.” She said through their teaching, she has learned about Cook Island culture.
Ah Loy mentioned, “I think that the cultures of Cook Island and Hawai’i make sure to honor those who came before us and make sure we remember and appreciate what they have done for us.”
“I love the dance because it’s more than just the movements. It has a story behind it and I think the story is beautiful,” said Munkhbaatar. She added even though her culture and Cook Island culture is different, she sees similarities, “I think our cultures are similar [because] it’s centered on families and how we respect our elders. We think we are so different, but the more you get to know each other, the more you realize how similar we are.”