HEIVA Norfolk Island 2023

This weekend is Heiva Day, a very special community event organised to celebrate Uklan’s life (family and community). It will be held at Emily Bay on Monday 2 January 2023, which is a public holiday on Norfolk Island. The opening blessings followed by activities and competitions start 11am and continue throughout the day. See the details below for more information.

The inaugural Heiva Norfolk Island was held in 2019 and the winners of the first event was the Nobbs family. This was held on 29 December 2019, it had been planned for Boxing Day, but unsettled weather postponed the event to a sunny day. Fingers crossed the weather is fine on Monday this long weekend, but there is unsettled forecast for the region over the New Year weekend. Last year the 2021/2022 Heiva Norfolk Island was cancelled due to the first cases of Covid-19 on Norfolk Island.

“HEIVA NORFOLK ISLAND” invites the community to celebrate the Norfolk Island founding families and their Polynesian heritage. Heiva is from the Tahitian language, from the foremothers, the Tahitians ladies on Pitcairn Island. I read the meaning of Heiva, “hei” meaning to assemble and “va” meaning a community places, referring to activities, pastimes, physical exercise and festivals.

The festival is a mix of song and dance, and traditional sports and games, with physical races and tug of war. The grand sandcastle building, the children can get creative down the beach. Also planned are fun iwi games, fruit carrier races carrying a pole on shoulders with pu’u plunn (bananas), and there is the Strong Salan, they will lift basalt boulders onto a platform and also lots of other fun events to suit everyone competing or watching. The Wa’a will begin the competition as teams race in the outriggers paddling through the lagoon.

There will be voting for the best wood carving and plaiting and weaving articles which will be on display. I am also looking forward to the story telling by the elders.

The drummers will be playing their traditional beats and the Bauntii Byuutii dance troupes will be dancing and their dress and dances are always stunning. In 2019, the day ended with the laying of wreaths as respect to our Tahitian foremothers, which was extremely moving.

I wonder who will be the proud winning family of this second “Heiva Norfolk Island”? I’m sure they will be excited to except the 2023 carved trophy.

The family colours worn by the challengers and supporters.

Young Yellow

Adams Red

Nobbs Green

Quintal Black

Evans White

Buffett Blue

McCoy Brown

Christian Orange

There are eight teams competing. These are named for our forefathers who brought us to settle this beautiful Norfolk Island, along with our Pitcairn foremothers. These British men gave us the eight family names for the competing teams. Everyone is encouraged to be part of a team. We choose this day to honour and remember our first foremothers. The brief opening ceremony will honour them, and the closing ceremony will pay tribute to them.

Remember to wear your team colour.

Visitors, please come along and join in the fun and games.

Heiva Day food and water: - you can bring your own picnics, refreshment and everything, or bring your money to purchase cold drinks throughout the day.

Don’t forget to bring a chair and picnic mats, plus weather protection, sunhats etc.

Thank you to the Norfolk Island Council of Elders and all the helpers and volunteers for organising this wonderful fun day during the festive season. It is always lovely to enjoy a community day with family and friends and it is a great opportunity for visitors to see the unique side of Norfolk life.

Details and updates available on Facebook Council of Elders, Norfolk Island

https://www.facebook.com/coe.norfolkisland

Heiva is a Tahitian tradition that celebrates life.

The word “hei” in this way means to assemble, while “va” means community places. It refers to various activities, pastimes, exercise and festival. Dancing is the most common art form performed during the Tahitian event. The Tahitian event brings together Polynesians every year with one aim – to make Heiva a unique and magnificent event. Heiva I Tahiti runs for around sixteen days – or sometimes three weeks when there is a sacred, ancient or significant occurrence.

Here on Norfolk Island, we have a one-day magnificent event. On this day we are entertained with dance, can participate in wa’a racing, story-telling, running, weight lifting, very noisy family tugs-of-war, children's games as well as exhibitions of our traditional weaving and carving. All centred around our beautiful lagoon and opposite the site of the ancient south marae.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Yorlye kam iin Taun - do goode and play hard f' yorlye's pile.

*All welcome- please join in and enjoy all together*

Heiva Norfolk Island

Monday 2nd January 2023

Emily Bay

PROGRAMME

• 11:00am Sounding of the Conch announces the OPENING CEREMONY at the Marae site

• 11:10am WA’A RACING begin (teams will be wearing their colours)

• 11:30am Weaving demonstrations.

Judged weaving and carving exhibit.

• 12:00noon IWI SALAN GAMES (with Susanne, Valeska and team) – all fun (no contest).

• 12:30pm FRUIT CARRYING RACES begin – carrying a pole on shoulders (pu’u plunn weights)

• 2:00pm TUG of WAR begins – knock out format

• 3:00pm STRORNG SALAN begins – lift basalt boulders on to a platform - elimination format

• 3:30pm STORY TELLING – eight stories, each 3minutes (judged)

• 4:30pm BAUNTII BYUUTII dance troupes

• 5:00pm PRESENTATION – announcement of 2023 Champion

• 5:10pm DRUMMERS and TUPUNA WAHINE dance troupe

• 5:20pm ORATORY of FOREMOTHERS (a young wahine of each family tell their kam fram)

CLOSING CEREMONY (immediately follows the eight girls’ oration)

Everyone is welcome to join in the final dance

• FINISH – Pitcairn Anthem

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OTHER THINGS:-

7:30am SET-UP, please feel free to call down and help (Emily Bay grass area opposite the Marae site)

11:00am COLD DRINKS & SNACKS for sale (thanks Alison & Adam and co.)

11:00am-1:00pm SAUSAGE & ONION on BREAD for sale (thank you Rusty)

2:00pm until sold out FISH FRY (time to be confirmed)

CLEAN UP – can everyone please all help to clean up after the Anthem has been sung.

I look forward to this very special day, I will be down the beach with my camera ready to record the magic moments and the gathering of the families and the Norfolk Island community. Thank you yorlye for organising this during the festive season when there are sullen home to join in the fun and a big thank you to the Norfolk Island Council of Elders

Betty Matthews

December 2022