‘Big Joe’ Vakalala returns to the Center
“Big Joe” Vakalalavanua was a very popular Fijian student-employee at the Center in the 1960s, and only returned once in 2002 after graduating.
Tivakno Ieli Sievinen: “Truly grateful”
Tivakno Ieli Sievinen was originally from the small, remote island of Rotuma, a political dependency of Fiji with its own language and culture. (She passed away in July 2020.)
Damuni looked back during 40th anniversary
The late Emosi Damuni recalled how he first came to the Polynesian Cultural Center in 1964 during the 40th anniversary in 2003.
Camakau gets new ‘home’ in Fijian Village
[Reprinted from a 2004 story and photo by Mike Foley] Over 20 years ago the Polynesian Cultural Center commissioned the people of Kabara in Fiji’s Lau Islands archipelago to make a traditional ocean-voyaging canoe. Using only indigenous materials, they handcrafted a 40-foot camakau [voyaging canoe — note: the letter ‘c’ in Fijian is pronounced like a voiced […]
