HEIWA NORFOLK ISLAND - 7 January 2024

Sunday was an amazing sunny warm afternoon at Emily Bay as the community gathered to celebrate 2024 Heiwa Day. The opening ceremony blessings were held at the ancient Marae in the pine trees area, with speeches and laying of flowers. This was followed by music and a lovely welcome to the families, friends and visitors to this very special community event organised to celebrate Uklan’s life (family and community).

Following the opening was the day’s activities and competitions which started about 12.30pm and continue throughout the day. The festival is a mix of song and dance, and traditional sports and games. First up was the Wa’a outriggers as families paddled around Emily Bay. The letl salan (children) enjoyed fun activitiesand iwi games. There was physical races and tug of war as well as Laeg Race -fruit carrier races carrying a pole on shoulders with pu’u plunn (bananas), and there is the Strong Salan, the competitors lifted basalt boulders onto a platform and also lots of other fun events to suit everyone competing or watching.

Also on display was wood carving and plaiting and weaving articles. Later in the afternoon the community gathered and enjoyed the Larn One Story, one person from each family story

telling by the elders. Then the Paapahaia Drummers played their traditional beats and the Bauntii Byuutii and Sestak dance troupes danced and invited others to join in.

Later in the afternoon, the Commemoration of our Foremothers twelve of our young gairl gave an oration in honour of our first twelve mothers and laid wreathes in their memory as respect to our Tahitian foremothers, which is always extremely moving. I missed photographing the ceremony as I had driven home and didn’t make it back in time.

The Champions of 2024 was announced, congratulations the Quintal family taking home the trophy this year. Runner up was the Christian Family who also won the Wa’a outrigger 2024 trophy. It must have been a close competition this year as the Christian family also won the beach tug of war as well.

That the closure we all gathered and sung the Pitcairn Anthem and the community also had a minute’s silence in memory of Albert Fletcher Buffett who sadly passed away last week.

Thank you to the Norfolk Island Council of Elders and the helpers and volunteers for organising this amazing community event. Thank you to the Norfolk Island Pistol Club for providing the fish fry and lunch time food plus those cooking plunn pancakes and Princess Alison for providing the cold drinks.

Here are a few of the photos I took on Sunday 7 January 2024, I have also shared many others on Facebook on Norfolk Island photos page. I have also been enjoying the videos shared by Gaelene Nobbs-Qunital on Facebook, she ahs captured the day beautiful.

Betty Matthews

12 January 2024

#1 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.

#2 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.

#3 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.

#4 2023/2024 Sunny day at Emily Bay, 7 January 2024. Winners this year was the Quintal Family

Thank you, Norfolk Island Council of Elders, Norfolk Island