Leaders from Kamehameha Schools, Office of Hawaiian Affairs sign goodwill agreement with Raʻiātea
On January 29, 2025, representatives from Kamehameha Schools, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the mayors of Taputapuātea, Tumaraʻa and Uturoa from the island of Raʻiātea in French Polynesia signed a Cultural Heritage, Education and Community Exchange Charter and Agreement.
The purpose of the agreement is to strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation; contribute to the preservation and enhancement of our unique heritages, affirm existing cultural exchanges; and initiate educational, sports, and artistic exchange opportunities. It also aims to collaborate on sustainable development issues to ensure economic and social growth while protecting the biosphere of our communities.
This momentous Hawaiʻi charter signing completes a process several years in the making, and represents the final connection in the Polynesian Triangle, with agreements already signed by Rapa Nui and Aotearoa. Together, the agreements join our ʻohana across the Polynesian triangle as one, strengthening relationships and creating opportunities to perpetuate culture and traditions and share knowledge.
Signatories include:
Participants, including a delegation of more than 25 leaders from French Polynesia as well as the Polynesian Voyaging Society, gathered at the Kaʻiwakīloumoku Hawaiian Cultural Center on the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama campus for a special ceremony rooted in cultural protocol. KS Kapālama haumāna from Hawaiian Ensemble shared hula, while others presented oli, pule, mele and took part in an ʻawa ceremony to celebrate and solidify the agreement. KS and OHA presented the mayors with ceremonial paddles to mark the occasion.
Link to b-roll (Courtesy of Kamehameha Schools)
