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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, June 13, 2003

Micronesian fair bigger this year

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

Senior Girl Scouts want you to become better acquainted with Micronesian arts and crafts during the cultural festival. From left: Kelli Katayama, 15, of Mililani; Shalayne Sagatis, 17, of 'Aina Haina; Noelle Lum, 17, of Kane'ohe; and Taryn Lum, 17, of Kahala.

Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

Micronesians here want more than a passing acquaintance with the Hawai'i kama'aina and are planning a big party in hopes of establishing closer ties.

The first Micronesian Cultural Festival — a belated celebration of the Micronesian Constitution Day holiday, May 10 — was held last year. But planners of this year's event, set for June 21 at McCoy Pavilion, want a bigger fair, said Danny Rescue, senior counsel at the consulate for the Federated States of Micronesia.

And this year they have the help of the local community, in the form of Senior Girl Scout Troop 415, four high school students who are helping the consulate to run the event.

The troop split the task in two.

• Seniors Shalayne Sagatis from Punahou School and Noelle Lum from Castle High School assembled dozens of private and public agencies to present information on their services to the Micronesians, many of whom need orientation to the offices that can help them with health issues and social needs.

Along with the letter of invitation that the girls sent to about 175 agencies, they attached a sheet of "helpful hints" in interactions with the Micronesians, including expressions of greeting from the federation's four states: Kosrae, Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei.

Micronesian Cultural Festival

• 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 21

• McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Beach Park

• Free

"They're very shy people," Sagatis said.

"You can't look them in the eye. And you should smile a lot."

• To give Hawai'i's keiki a taste of Micronesian cultures, Kelli Katayama and Taryn Lum of Mid-Pacific Institute are offering them a chance to try their hand at arts, crafts and games.

There will be bracelets to weave, tattoo emblems to print with stencils, and navigational charts — a kind of three-dimensional map outlining islands and ocean currents — to make from sticks and shells.

And they said there will be "love sticks" to design — replications of the wooden staffs used in Micronesian courtship rituals. The genuine article would be pushed through the walls of a hut by a hopeful suitor, who carved it with symbols that his sweetheart might recognize as his. If she wants him, she'd draw the stick through the wall; otherwise, she'd push it back.

The consulate is putting together performing groups representing the various cultures, as well as food booths.

"People here may know the word 'Micronesian,' but in terms of what these people are and their culture, we need to promote that," Rescue said.

"Even tourists who may be dashing by at Ala Moana Beach Park — we hope they will come, too."

Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.