Polyfest promoted sense of belonging

Posted: Tuesday Oct 03, 2023

Thirty years ago the first Polyfest acted as a beacon of light for a young Samoan man who is now a stage manager of the popular Dunedin event.

View original article with images here: Polyfest promoted sense of belonging | Otago Daily Times Online News (odt.co.nz)

Pesamino Tili was a 17-year-old pupil at Kavanagh College (now known as Trinity Catholic College) when he performed in Otago’s first Polyfest in 1993.

He recalled attempting to learn more about his culture and identity in his younger years and how difficult that was for him.

"Back in those days, I was trying to discover who I was. I started reading lots, and I wasn’t a reader. I almost felt like I had very mild dyslexia.

"But I was so interested and so engaged in our legends and history.

"As a Pacific Islander living in Dunedin, you always felt like you were living on the outer.

"And I think what the festival has done has made people like myself, who are immigrants to Dunedin, a real important part of our landscape," Mr Tili said.

In 1992, Mr Tili put together a Samoan dance group with his brother and friends for a cultural awards ceremony.

From there, the group grew bigger and Mr Tili was featured in the Otago Daily Times.

A week or two later he was contacted by Carol Clarkson, who wanted to organise a Polynesian festival and invited him to join the initiative.

Mr Tili was supported heavily by his teacher, Colleen Leacock-Johnson, who offered them resources and even became their bass drummer.

With help from his family and friends, Mr Tili used old bed sheets they sourced from a towel service to create lava-lava uniforms for their group.

"All up it probably cost about $30.

"It was nothing like nowadays. It really looked like just white sheets tied up with patterns on them.

"But we were all happy — we were very proud of what we did and what we were able to achieve."

He "never imagined" Polyfest would grow into what it is today, he said.

"I find it really hard to think about it, because I can’t help but get emotional.

"It’s a real sense of empowerment, to have their world view put up on stage.

"They become the masters of that knowledge."

Mr Tili is co-director of religious studies at Trinity Catholic College.

"I never thought I’d become a teacher. And I think that goes back to growing up and not feeling good enough."

The festival encouraged not only his confidence and sense of identity, but also his leadership.

"I know lots of people that are in leadership positions now. I don’t know whether the festival had much to do with it, but it definitely gave a boost of morale, sometimes at a time where it seemed quite dark for us."

The festival’s Pacific welcoming ceremony included an intergenerational performance where past performers and tutors from 30 years ago performed with their children.

To him, the festival felt like "a real family affair" and he wanted to acknowledge them, especially his father who contributed to the festival’s growth, Mr Tili said.

"My father passed away some years ago ... My mum’s still here cheering us on and the grandchildren. I’m just so thankful."

He felt as though the festival promoted a "sense of strength to push forward" but that they must do so in their own way.

"When I go to job interviews, yes, I wear the shirts and the ties to get the job.

"But when I turn up to work I wear my island shirts, my lava-lava, my sandals.

"Sometimes we have to play the game. But then, it’s important to be who we are and people respect that."