An ensemble moves in tandem on stage, donning colorful patterns of pink, yellow and green with flowers tucked into their hair. Some toss money and wave the flags of Samoa and American Samoa around the main dancer, who is adorned in a red tuiga, to the sound of guitar strums and cheerful cries.
It was one of several performances from Hui ‘O Hawai’i’s 2026 Lū’au, an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration of culture and tradition through dance. The event, which took place on May 2, spotlighted an array of performances, bookending a dinner catered by local restaurants Every Day Kine Grindz from Hawaii and Spring House. It also featured a raffle and other on-stage entertainment for the 749 audience members present.
Hui ‘O Hawai’i organized the event alongside the Pacific Islander Student Alliance, a group representing Micronesian, Melanesian and Polynesian students, which was founded on UO’s campus just last year.
“It’s a special event for everyone to just gather, eat food, have a good time, watch some performances,” Penina-Taima Vaimaona, lū’au co-coordinator, said. “We’re very proud to represent our culture (and show) how proud we are of the place that we come from and how much time and effort we put into this event.”
Vaimaona and Caleb Correa, seniors, oversaw this year’s lū’au, and this year is their first as members on the executive board. They weren’t sure what to expect, but they knew that they wanted to create a space for shared celebration and performance.
The theme this year is “Mōhala ka pua ua wehe kaiao,” or “The blossoms are opening for dawn is breaking.” It’s a proverb from the book ‘Olelo No’eau, chosen carefully by the coordinators.
According to Correa, “Last year was our 50th, and in that (year’s proverb), it talked about paying tribute to our past and our ancestors. Now we’re using that to move forward.”
It’s a message of hope in the face of new beginnings. “In order to create something more uplifting, we wanted to make it calmer, easier and just more open to interpretation for everyone to encompass,” Correa said. “For freshmen, their journey into college, and for us seniors, our journey out into the real world.”
There were three different sections of performance: Hula, Tahitian and Samoan, each carrying its own style and telling its own story. The show began with a hula kahiko number to “I Wehe Rose Nō Ka Lani” and finished with the Senior ‘Auana, a celebration of the graduating members, to “Sweet Memory/Makalapua.” The show also included a display of Siva Afi, a traditional Samoan fire dance, and an opportunity for audience members to get on stage to learn some moves themselves.
Hui ‘O Hawai’i has been working on this year’s choreography since January. Correa, a dance major, helped to shape some of the dances, but the group also connected with dancers from around the state to create different segments. One notable contributor was Angie Jackman, founder and owner of Portland’s Teva Oriata Polynesian Dance Troupe, who choreographed the Ahuroa/Mehura and ‘Aparima performances.
What Vaimaona was most excited for was the Samoan section of the performances. “It’s an all-girls section, and I’m of Samoan heritage, and we put a lot of time and effort into all of our dances,” she said. “It’s been a really fun dance, so I’m really excited to see it all. But I’m also just really excited to watch everyone be really proud of all the work they put in. It’s been a long journey.”
Organizing the event caused some stress along the way, one speedbump being the financial toll of hosting such a large-scale show. The ASUO surplus request was crucial, but with limited funding, the coordinators were pushed to get creative, which they couldn’t have done alone.
“This is definitely not a two-person job. It’s way too much work for just two people, so we appreciate each and every one of them taking a lead and helping us execute this,” Vaimaona said. “Also, just all of our club members and our dancers, they work so hard to put on this show. We wouldn’t be able to do it. It’s not just the dancers; it’s also their parents and their friends who have poured into this event as well. So we’re grateful for all of them.”
“We genuinely have grown very, very close throughout the years,” Correa said about the group. “And even for me, I only transferred here the last school year, but being taken in by this current senior class is just very honoring and warming because they are like my family away from home.”
Months of preparation, practice and organization came together for a few hours on a softly-lit stage for hundreds to admire. For audience members, Hui ‘O Hawai’i and PISA, this annual lū’au was a way to come together and look forward to what the future holds.
