Tahitian Poet Celebrates Heritage with CCSF
By Cassie Ordonio/Staff writer
Calling on students to document their culture, Tahitian poet, author and scholar Flora Aurima- Devatine also called on City College Pacific Islanders to make those findings public through writing.
Aurima-Devatine stressed that point at the 7th Annual Talanoa Series hosted in the Multi-Use Building on Sept. 29 that attracted some 80 people.
Every fall and spring semester, the interdisciplinary studies department organizes the event to invite guest speakers across the Pacific Islands to meet students from the critical Pacific Islands studies certificate program.
“It’s really beautiful to see what this program is about. That this is a place for Pacific Islander students to feel like they have a home, and that is what I think is really essential to student success .”
— Jill Yee
Since the series began in spring 2014 three Talanoa events have been held each semester, according to interdisciplinary studies professor and coordinator of the critical Pacific Islands studies certificate program David Palaita.
Palaita said Aurima-Devatine is the first native speaker from Tahiti, a French territory, to visit City College.
Born into a family of Polynesian voyagers, Aurima-Devatine is also a member of the Tahitian academy since 1972 and she is the first female poet to publish a collection of poetry in Tahiti in 1980.
As the state representative responsible for women’s issues from 1974 to 1984, Aurima-Devatine set up the Council of Women within the French Polynesian government.
In 2013, France bestowed upon her the national mirror of honor for her work on Polynesian culture, literature and women’s issues.
“This was a rare opportunity for our college, city and state to have such a well known, primary scholar from Tahiti,” Palaita said.
“I’m very proud to have the honor to be here to speak about our culture.”
— Flora Aurima-Devatine
At the event Palaita honored the first generation migrants of the Bay Area and the California’s indigenous people. He also thanked and welcomed the Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences Jill Yee to the stand.
Yee spoke about how honored she was to be speaking at the event.
“It’s really beautiful to see what this program is about,” Yee said. “That it is a place for Pacific Islander students to feel like they have a home, and that what I think is really essential to student success.”
Other speakers included students environmental studies major Andrew Opetaia, dance major Spulu, public health major Edel Vaovasa and Asian American studies and mathematics major Dominique Aiava.
Each student talked about how their academic journey started at City College, and how education is not only important to Pacific Islanders, but to every other race as well.
After their encouragement to City College students to transfer to a four-year college, Aiava offered the gift of dance to Aurima-Devatine. As Polynesian music began to play, the crowd stared toward the back of the room where a San Francisco State University student performed.
Following the performance Nani Wilson, an organizer for Pacific Islander Leaders of Tomorrow, spoke.
“It was either that or I have to go to work, that’s what my mama said,” Wilson, who graduated from City College in 1982, said.
When it was her time to speak, Palaita’s voice cracked with pride as he welcomed Aurima-Devatine to the microphone to a standing ovation.
“I’m very proud to have the honor to be here to speak about our culture. I’m hoping and wishing that Tahiti can have students to have the benefits of your work,” Aurima-Devatine said in a soft French accent.
She closed the event by reading two poems in Tahitian.
“This was a great event that represents diversity and culture that is done at this college,” Gilles Delcourt, deputy of Cultural Attache and diplomat from France, said.
Contact a reporter
Send an email to: Cassie Ordonio
Comments are closed.