What is the Polynesian Heritage Association?
By Olivia Norton
The Polynesian Heritage Association of Southern Virginia University is taking strides to bring cultural awareness and carry on the traditions of their culture all while bringing smiles to the school.
Aloha. Talofa lava. Malo e leilei. Kia ora. Bula vinaka. Ia Orana… These are the greetings of the six Polynesian islands represented at our school by the Polynesian Heritage Association, also known as the Poly Club.
What does the Poly Club do? Here’s the short answer: a lot. The Poly Club holds regular Family Home Evenings (FHE) almost every other Sunday. On Friday and Saturday nights, they participate in recreational volleyball in Stoddard and there are a ton of spur-of-the-moment activities. The club holds dance and song practice Monday — Thursday in the dance studio where they participate in learning and teaching different aspects of their culture. All of the members practice anywhere from one to three hours every night. This effort is put in for preparation for the upcoming cultural night, or luau. The luau will be held on April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Knight Arena and will showcase songs and dances from the islands of Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji, and Tahiti. Everything showcased in the luau is student taught, with many of the dances choreographed by the students themselves (or handed down from their family members). The luau is a great opportunity for everyone at Southern Virginia University to learn more about Polynesian culture.
If you spend a lot of time on campus, you’ve probably noticed Poly Club members. They are always smiling and music follows them wherever they go. But, there’s a lot more to Poly Club than just a group of friends who like to sing. I had a chance to sit down with two of my favorite people, and Poly Club co-presidents, Kaehukai Kekahemauana I Loko O Kapono Burke (’23) and Kilihea Kimiyo Ellen Kanekoa Burke (’25) (most people know them as Kai and Kimi). The couple was voted in as presidents by the Poly Club members in the spring of 2022 and since then, have kept the technical side of the club running smoothly.
As I spoke with Kai and Kimi, I asked them what the Poly Club’s goal is. Kimi started out by saying,
“Virginia doesn’t have a super high population of Polynesian people. So I think a big part of [Poly Club] is just being able to stay in touch with our culture, while also spreading awareness and teaching it to other people who may not be familiar or are foreign to that. And vision wise, I guess, like I’m just really impressed with how much we did last year, and how much we’ve done this year. And I would love for the Polynesian community to continue to grow out here. I’d love for a multicultural center, or something like that to represent us a little more… I feel like a lot of people don’t know about what goes on or the current problems that are still going on today in Hawaii or in other Polynesian cultures. So just teaching about that, bringing attention to it because it affects people, it’s important to people.”
Kai added on to what his wife said by saying,
“Our purpose is to help the Polynesians here at the school, as well as those who are in our club, to prosper and flourish. I think that one of our main goals and purposes is to make sure that we strive for excellence as Polynesians, and not only are able to strive for excellence, but are able to do that in a culturally sound way… I think one of our visions is definitely to be able to teach the Polynesians that are here, and others who are in our club, so that they can be able to pass that knowledge on to their children and the people who come after them. I think that in Polynesian culture that’s such a huge thing, passing the culture from one generation to another. And as new Polynesians come in here, we try to prepare them to be able to help the ones that come in after… We can all help each other out culturally.”
The Poly Club has become a family for the Polynesians and its other members here at Southern Virginia University. It is a support system of athletes, artists, newlyweds, parents, and people from all walks of life. It’s beautiful to see how a group of people have become so much more than just a club. Kai told me,
“When I first got here, which was three and a half years ago, Poly club gave me a sense of belonging. To be honest, I didn’t really want to come here. But I was intrigued by the rugby. I was intrigued by the education, the small classes, which is something that I really need and needed. But if it wasn’t for the Polynesian Heritage Association, I don’t think I would have stayed. It’s just been nice. Having a little family here where everybody’s really tight, able to help each other. That’s what’s really impacted me.”
You can show your support for the Polynesian Heritage Association by following them on Instagram @poly_knights (where most events and practices are posted), by coming to FHE and other activities, and marking your calendar for the luau! But most importantly, ask questions.
“I would say the best way to support Polynesian cultures in general, is just ask questions and be humble enough to want to know more. Because there are still a lot of things going on today. There’s so many things going on,” co-president Kimi Burke.
