The original Polynesian settlement in Utah is now a ghost town. But local Polynesians are out to prove that their culture is alive and well some 3,000 miles from their tropical roots.
"I'm proud of my culture, and I want to share it," said Jacklyn Hunt, a 19-year-old freshman at Brigham Young University.And when Hunt dances with fellow American Samoans, it's like some message in a bottle that has drifted from the beaches of Hawaii and other islands to Utah.
She and other BYU students from Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa and New Zealand performed before a packed audience at the college Wednesday night to celebrate their heritage.
For many of them, Wednesday's show was like a dress rehearsal for Saturday's "We Are Polynesia" performance that starts 7 p.m. at the E Center in West Valley City. (The E Center opens at 4 p.m. with a Polynesian Food Court and Craft Fair.)
Celeste Miyamoto can't wait.
It's lonely being away from her family in Hawaii, she said. But when the 19-year-old freshman at BYU dances with others who have Polynesian ties, she said, it "makes me feel like home."
She also is filled with what she called the "aloha spirit."
That's something that can't be expressed in words but comes from the heart, added Lai Veikoso, 27, from Fiji.
"All Polynesians love to sing and dance," he said. That's their way of communication, he added.
And Ellen Gray Delarosa, manager of special promotions of the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii, is glad to be bringing her elite performing team toUtah.
"I hope it continues to be an annual event," she said.
Last year, the all-star Polynesian show performed to a sold-out crowd at the E Center.
This year's "We Are Polynesia" will feature Tongan master drummer Maveni Palo from Hawaii's Polynesian Cultural Center who will pound his drums with teeth-rattling ferocity.
He will join 400 Utah-based Polynesian performers in an energetic and colorful display of Polynesia's music, dance and culture.
Though the entertainment is the attraction of Saturday's event, the objective is to raise money to build a Polynesian community center in West Valley City, the home of many Polynesians.
There are an estimated 40,000 Polynesians living in Utah, said Soulee Stroud, spokesman for the Polynesian Association of Utah, the nonprofit group organizing the E Center event.
"The Polynesian community wants this center to perpetuate our heritage, especially among the young generations. The community involvement in this event demonstrates just how important it is to our future."
Organizers Oli Tuia and Dofi Faasou estimate it would take about $1.5 million to build a cultural center. Yet it's important to them that people know their heritage. It all started in Tooele County's Iosepa.
Mormons from Laie, Hawaii, settled at Skull Valley in the late 1800s to be near the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tuia said.
But in the dry desert, it was a harsh life and a struggle to preserve customs. Some died of leprosy; many moved back to their homeland, she added. The settlement is still there, but all that exists are a few abandoned buildings.
Eventually Polynesians came back to Utah, seeking better education and economic opportunities, added Faasou.
Likewise, sisters Tuia and Faasou left Laie and moved to Utah. They raised their families and stayed. And like most Polynesians, they want to share their cultural heritage with others.
"I grew up in Hawaii," said Andria Uale, an 18-year-old freshman at BYU. "I have a strong love for my culture."
At "We Are Polynesia," it's a chance to express that love, added Jillana Ahloe, 20.
Most exciting to Faasou is watching the various Polynesian groups come together and form friendships.
"The kids after they move here from Hawaii have lost their place," she said. Together, she added, they build strong bonds.