Kava Night

Katie D.

May 30, 2009 - 1:00 PM

Last night was the second annual Kava Night, hosted by People of the Pacific (POP), a UO group of students of Polynesian decent.

The free event included a fabulous meal (including Spam!), live music, dance performances, information about several Island cultures, and Kava.

Kava is a kind of tea made from a root that grows on the Pacific islands. It is legal and available in stores, and has effects similar to alcohol. Each culture has a different name for Kava, and a different tradition of consumption, from mystical to medicinal to "just for fun."

The event took place in the Wesley Center, which has a stage and enough room for the 75 or so people who showed up for this fabulous event. We snacked on coconut slices, drank Kava, and answered trivia questions to win shell necklaces and palm fans. The Kava part included the Fijian traditions around Kava, including how to ask for another round and the correct response to a drink. Kava is not something you sip on: it tastes "earthy," or, more accurately, like dirt. But there is a really nice ceremony to it, with an emphasis on the group and on appreciation for the drink. (This actually reminded me of drinking "mate" in South America, which also has a ceremony to it, and which tastes like weeds, rather than dirt.)

The dancers were absolutely amazing. There were Hawaiian, Tongan, Samoan, Tahitian dances, mostly choreographed by student dancers themselves. My friend Ria, who is Samoan, was in charge of the event, and also sang, danced, and choreographed. The Hula dancers were part of Island Arts Productions, which is a dance school in Eugene. I was interested to see hula performed by dancers who knew what they were doing, and to hear an introduction to each song and learn about what story the dance was telling. The dancing is beautiful, and very unlike the stereotypical "hula girl" image of the dance.

Each group had a very distinctive look to their dancing, but still had a recognizable relation to each other. The different outfits and musical styles combined to make a truly multicultural feel, even for someone who knows very little about Pacific Island cultures.

Next year I will be attending more events hosted by POP. They hold dances, musical performances, and cultural events. My friend even offered to teach me hula!