November 09, 2023

#98 | Polynesian Cultural Center | 60th year anniversary, Polynesian connections, and ALOHA

2 hours 14 minutes

The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) is a family-centered cultural tourist attraction and living museum located in La'ie, on the north shore of O'ahu, Hawai'i.

Our first guest is President Puatata Alfred Grace who is a New Zealand Māori from Tūrangi, Aotearoa. He is a BYUH alum who advanced through the ranks working his way up to be the first ever Chief Operating Officer in 2008 and 5 years later was promoted to the number one position: President and Chief Executive Officer of PCC.

Our second guest is Delsa Atoa Moe who is a former PCC student-worker and BYUH graduate from Samoa with over 40 years of employment utilizing her multifaceted talents here until she worked her way all the way up to become the Vice President of Cultural presentations.

Ou third guest is Telesia Tonga who is the Senior Cultural Ambassador and MC Coordinator at PCC. She is also the mother of the talented Tonga sisters, everyoneʻs favorite aunty, and she is the first person on our podcast who is actually related to Iam Tongi.

Our last guest is Kap Teʻo-Tafiti who is everyoneʻs favorite cultural practitioner and man of many talents. He is the Senior Cultural Ambassador for the Samoa village who has been here for over 30 years. Although he is one of 28 siblings, he stands out from the crowd with his amazing skills with the fire-knife, tree climbing, and effortless humor.

In this episode we talk about the history of the Polynesian cultural Center, how everyone ended up at PCC, their own individual Polynesian cultures and stories, Aloha, and so much more. Enjoy!

Find PCC here: https://www.instagram.com/polynesianculturalctr/

Find Sia here: https://www.instagram.com/telesiatonga/

Find Kap here: https://www.instagram.com/kapcultureandart/

Filmed at https://polynesia.com/

Buy our merch on: https://keepitaloha.com/

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamakadias

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KeepitAlohaPod/

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By Kamaka Dias

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