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Motutama “Motu” Sipelii thought he would find more resources for Pacific Islanders when he moved to Portland from American Samoa. The Pacific Northwest has a pronounced presence of Pacific Islanders felt across the region, due in part to the West Coast’s proximity to Hawaii, but many longtime residents remain ignorant of basic facts about the dozens of countries that make up the Pacific Islands. And whether they were born here or come from the islands like Sipelii did, Samoans and other islanders can feel isolated from their deeply connected communities.
The 3rd Annual Portland/Vancouver Samoan Festival—held at Peninsula Park on Saturday, July 13, as part of Portland Parks & Recreation’s Summer Free for All event series—is one such space where Sipelii and other Samoans with similar needs can find one another. Isolation can be excruciating for people with deep social connections, and the Portland/Vancouver Samoan Festival offers space to reconnect with cultural roots.
“Coming from the mother country, there’s just a wealth of knowledge and resources, but when you come [to the mainland], it’s very hard to find those cultural practitioners, or to know someone who knows someone who knows how to do a traditional stance or to speak the language, so it’s been hard to practice those,” Sipelii says.
Sipelii works for the Samoan Pacific Development Corporation as a coordinator for the nonprofit organization’s banyan tree program, which promotes mental health and social well-being for Samoans and Pacific Islanders of all ages, genders and sexual orientations. Founded in 2003, SPDC’s programs cover health, housing, youth empowerment and both cultural and scholastic education. SPDC was primarily run by volunteers up until the pandemic, when the organization helmed much of the community’s response to COVID-19. As restrictions lifted, SPDC’s board kept momentum going by continuing to build relationships with Multnomah County and other entities, securing grants to hire a paid staff.
Sipelii says SPDC expanded to cultural outreach events to raise visibility for the Samoan community, both for its own members and people unconnected to the Pacific Islands. Along with the Portland/Vancouver Samoan Festival—which started in Portland and moved to Vancouver last year—SPDC hosts another summer celebration in Medford, this year planned for Sunday, July 21.
Due to PP&R’s regulations, Sipelii says the Portland/Vancouver Samoan Festival will focus less on artisanal vendors and more on food, cultural entertainment and community resources. Multnomah County services for Pacific Islanders will be on site, like Portland Public Schools and CareOregon as well as Utopia PDX, a nonprofit for queer and transgender Pacific Islanders.
The Vancouver reggae band RA Khan makes a headlining appearance as well as the musician Eazyboy Olo. Kitchens from LB6 Island BBQ, Big Boy Restaurant Catering, Taste of Samoa and Kona Ice will load plates in that wonderfully gut-busting way Samoans show love.
Folk dance will play a prominent role in the festival, with numbers performed by the Uso Moni Dance Group and the Samoan dance troupe of Portland State University’s Pacific Islanders Club. Samoan youth will also deliver traditional speeches, such as folafola to’onai, folafola sua, sula toga and lauga, among other ceremonies.
“The folks coming from the island are different from those that have lived here their whole lives, so there are some disparities, but with the organization we are trying to make things better for the Samoan community here,” Sipelii says.
GO: 3rd Annual Portland/Vancouver Samoan Festival, Peninsula Park. 700 NE Rosa Parks Way, samoapdx.org. Noon–5 pm Saturday, July 13. Free. All ages.