HEIVA NORFOLK ISLAND 2024

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 Sunday 7 January 2024. Everyone is invited to gather at 11.30am for the opening ceremony blessings at the ancient Marae at the Pinetree area, followed by activities and competitions start 12.30pm 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.

The 2020/2021 was held on 3 January 2021 and the 2021 winners Quintal Family.

The 2021/2022 Heiva Norfolk Island was cancelled due to the first cases of Covid-19 on Norfolk Island.

Last year 2022/2023 was a wonderful day down at Emily Bay on 2nd January 2023, which was enjoyed by many, and the winners were the Christian Family.

Fingers crossed the weather is fine on Sunday this weekend 7 January 2024.

“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 letl salan (children) can get creative down the beach, plus lolly scramble and other fun activities. Also planned are fun iwi games, Laeg Race -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 Larn One Story, one person from each family story

telling by the elders.

Then the Paapahaia Drummers will be playing their traditional beats and the Bauntii Byuutii and Sestak dance troupes will be dancing, and their dress and dances are always stunning. Plus, the Porpich Jam Singers will entertain everyone.

Later in the afternoon, the day’s activities at 4.30pm will be the Commemoration of our Foremothers twelve of our young gairl will give an oration in honour of our first twelve mothers and lay wreathes in their memory as respect to our Tahitian foremothers, which will be extremely moving.

At 5.10pm the announcement of the Champion of the 2024 champions and trophies presented to the winning families. I wonder who will be the proud winning family of this third “Heiva Norfolk Island”? I’m sure they will be excited to except the carved trophys.

This will be followed by the Pitcairn Anthem.

Everyone is invited to help set up at 8am in the morning and helpers are also welcome to assist with the pack-up and clean up at the end of the afternoon.

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, refreshments. At 12.15pm there will be a Fish Fry , thank you to the Pistol Club for assisting with the lunch. Remember to bring money to purchase lunch and also 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.

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

5 January 2024

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"