By preserving and maintaining cultural clothing and fashion, the workers at the Polynesian Cultural Center are keeping the history and culture of the Pacific islands alive. The attire of the workers at the PCC is a visual representation of Pacific island culture, and everything that the workers wear has significance. In Fiji village, the men dress as if prepared for war. “What we are wearing is what we would wear when we go to battle,” said Pita Rakuita, a freshman in HTM from Fiji and a worker at Fiji village. “Fiji is the oldest colonized island in the Pacific, and the country is divided up into provinces. We paint markings on our face to distinguish ourselves from our enemies, because the provinces are always fighting.” Fellow Fijian village worker Iliesa Malani, a freshman in computer science from Fiji, said, “Our skirts are made from the pandanas leaves, and are some of the more authentic costumes at PCC. This is what our ancestors would have worn.”The women’s attire at Fijian village is also symbolic of Fijian history. “We wear these clothes to portray what our ancestors would have worn. This shell worn around my neck is very special to our culture. It is only worn by the royal families, and people who are important,” said Mareta Tailasa, a sophomore in social work from Fiji and a worker at Fijian village. “People would dive all the way to the bottom of the ocean to get these shells, and some of them wouldn’t make it back. Because they are so hard to get, it makes it very expensive and special to us.”New Zealand differs from other islands in the Pacific, as it is the only island that has a true winter season. “We wear cloaks in New Zealand, because it gets very cold in the winter. Common people would wear cloaks made of flax,” said Lisi Walters, a sophomore in music from New Zealand and a worker at Maori village. “The people who are more important would wear cloaks made from kiwi feathers.” Cloaks aren’t the only difference in Maori village attire. Walters said, “These outfits are a more modern take on traditional materials. We don’t have coconut trees, so our skirts are made of flax, because it grows so abundantly in New Zealand.” Each item of clothing worn in the Maori village carries significance to their culture. Walters said, “We also wear many ornaments. My necklace is made of the green stone jade. It is my great-grandmother’s, so it is over 65 years old,” said Walters. “Our ornaments always have some kind of meaning. I also wear earrings made of shark teeth.” Tupou Taufui, a sophomore in TESOL from Tonga and a worker at Tongan village, explained the dress of the women at Tongan village. “Before the European exploration of Tonga, the women would wear tapas, like the me,” said Taufui. “ Now we wear our dresses to the knee, because we have fabric and modern materials. We wear a keikei, or waist mat, over our dresses as a way to show respect.”
Writer: Emily Halls ~ Multimedia Journalist
