1 November 2024, Issue 1234
Celebrate and connect! Katikati College students Annie Peni, Nesian Jacob-Tahana, Lona Tautu'a, Tupou Pasikala and Atiata Iteraera can’t wait to dance, sing and smile their way into your hearts this Saturday, November 2, when they get to perform on-stage at the Pasifika Festival in the Bay.
Their school is hosting the festival for the first time with nearly 40 Bay of Plenty school groups to perform in traditional costumes, representing nations from all over the Pacific including Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji and more. But the event is not just a celebration – it’s a
cultural connector for the wider community. Katikati College head of faculty for languages and literacy Vetekina Pekipaki said her students are “excited, happy and they’re proud to be Pasifika and to share their dances, their culture and their languages with other people”.
“They’re also very proud it’s in Katikati because we do have a strong and big Pasifika community here. And it’s great we can have people experience our side of the BOP and see the amazing things that we do, the amazing people that live here.” Read more on page 10. Photo: Brydie Thompson