OHA, Kamehameha Schools represent Hawaiʻi in French Polynesia

Members of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, led by Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele and CEO Stacy Ferreira, are representing Hawaiʻi at the annual Raromataʻi Festival in Raʻiātea, French Polynesia.

The delegation also includes representatives and haumāna (students) from Kamehameha Schools led by Dr. Randie Fong, as well as esteemed cultural practitioners and ʻōlelo (language) experts Dr. Larry Kimura, Dr. Kalena Silva, Dr. Kekoa Harman, Pelehonuamea Harman and renowned artisan Kanaʻe Keawe.

The group is attending at the invitation of the three mayors of the island: Matahi Brotherson, Tavana (Mayor) of Uturoa; Thomas Moutame, Tavana of Taputapuātea; and Cyril Tetuanui, Tavana of Tamarau.

“It is an honor for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to participate in this year’s Raromataʻi Festival on Raʻiātea,” Kahele said. “We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to strengthen our ancestral and familial connections to our ʻāina kūpuna, and to celebrate the enduring bonds of our ʻohana Moananuiākea.”

The festival, held this year from July 27 to 31, brings together delegations from across Polynesia. Hawaiʻi’s delegation was greeted on Sunday at Raʻiātea’s airport in Uturoa with lei and the music of toʻere drums. Mayor Thomas Moutame was on hand to welcome Hawaiʻi to Raʻiātea.

Opening ceremonies were held at Tainuʻu Marae in the municipality of Tumaraʻa on Sunday evening. Cultural workshops and good-natured, uniquely Polynesian competitions followed the morning after, such as “Te Timau Raʻau,” a race performed while carrying loads of fruit.

This year’s gathering holds special significance as it unites the three “corners” of Polynesia: Aotearoa (New Zealand), Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Hawaiʻi. The marae complex of Taputapuātea on the island of Raʻiātea is considered to be the center of the Polynesian “triangle.”

OHA and Kamehameha Schools’ participation follows a Cultural Heritage, Education, and Community Exchange Agreement signed between Raʻiātea and Hawaiʻi in January 2025. The agreement underscores a shared commitment to friendship, cultural preservation and mutual understanding and support.