Samoa Culture Week returns to Tacoma with a new addition and old favorites
This year’s Samoa Cultural Week will be the biggest comeback yet — at least in Faaluaina Pritchard’s eyes.
“People are dying to come back,” said Pritchard, executive director of the Asia Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma.
People look forward to the cultural week every year, with some flying from out of state just to get a taste of Samoan culture, Pritchard said. This year’s cultural week will begin on Sunday, July 25 and end on Saturday, July 31.
The cultural week will kick off with a community prayer led by several church ministers from different denominations. Pritchard said the service will last for about two hours and will include sermons as well as hymns.
“In Samoa, everything starts with a prayer,” Pritchard said. “The whole idea behind the prayer is asking for blessings … so nothing (goes) wrong and everything (goes) right.”
Monday’s festivities will consist of youth groups from different churches. Children and young adults will sing, praise and perform skits. APCC hopes to keep them active and in touch with their spirituality through this event, Pritchard said.
On Tuesday, families can participate in Mana Youth Day. A number of local organizations will be present to help young adults start thinking about their future careers, Pritchard said.
A few hours before the sun sets on Tuesday, those who have a knack for singing can participate in the Samoa Idol Competition. Pritchard said the idol competition is a new addition. The idol competition will continue on Wednesday. Winners will be announced and can expect to receive prizes worth between $200 to $1,000.
There will be a Samoan Fashion Show on Thursday. Fashion designers Afa Ah Loo and Joleen J. Ta’ase will make an appearance, Pritchard said. Loo was featured in Season 17 of “Project Runway” and Ta’ase owns Lalelei Designs.
General admission for the Samoan Fashion Show is $26.50 online and $35 at the door. The fashion show is the only event that has an admission fee.
The latter part of the cultural week will consist of a community dinner and food festival, Pritchard said. A plethora of cultural foods like Palusami, an entree that consists of taro leaves, coconut milk and onions, will be served.
Lydia Faitalia, who is helping host Mana Youth Day, said APCC hopes to inform and educate families. There will be resources around healthcare-related topics as well as workshops around Samoan culture.
Faitalia works for the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation and is a member of the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs. APCC will conduct a survey at the youth day to check on the Samoan community.
“A lot of our children are having a difficult time going back to school. A lot of our elders have been isolated,” Faitalia said. “People are saying (Mana Youth Day) is focused on youth empowerment — it’s actually focused on the whole community at large.”
Penelope Tinitali, owner of Oh Sew Islander, is helping host the Samoan Fashion Show. Tinitali said she has been showcasing her designs at the fashion show since 2018. This year, she will show her latest collection of Puletasis, traditional clothing worn by Samoan, Tongan and Fijian women.
Tinitali comes from a family of seamstresses. Her mother, grandmother and aunties all sewed. She started honing her skills once she bought a sewing machine from Goodwill and in 2017, Oh Sew Islander finally came to be.
“We want to make some noise out here in the states,” Tinitali said. “We got Polynesian designers out here, too.”
Pritchard said the cultural week is an opportunity for people to learn about Samoan culture. Oftentimes Samoans are stereotyped as mean people who are “causing trouble,” she said.
Faitalia said the cultural week is important to hold, especially in Pierce County, because the county holds one of the largest homes for the military. There are Samoan elders who have served, and they must be honored through events like this.
“We’re all about honor and respect … and family is the key,” Pritchard said.
APCC’s Samoa Cultural Week is open to the public. Here is a complete list of events:
- Prayer service, 6 p.m. July 25 at Mount Tahoma High School
- Youth gospel night, 6 p.m. July 26 at Mount Tahoma High School
- Mana Youth Day, 10 a.m. July 27 at STAR Center
- Samoa Idol Competition (Part 1), 7 p.m. July 27 at Mount Tahoma High School
- Samoa Idol Competition (Part 2), 7 p.m. July 28 at Mount Tahoma High School
- Samoa Fashion Show, 6:30 p.m. July 29 at Asia Pacific Cultural Center
- Community dinner, 6 p.m. July 30 at McGavick Conference Center
- Pasifika Food Festival, 10 a.m. July 31 at Clover Park High School
This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
