Polynesian Cultural Centre
The Polynesian Cultural Centre on Oahu is one of the major tourist attractions of the Islands of Hawaii. It lets you explore the rich heritage of Polynesia in one large themed park. There are characteristically authentic villages of Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Aotearoa, Tahiti and Hawaii. It offers the opportunity to witness cultural displays of song and dance of Polynesian natives in the villages and eat traditional luau food with authentic Hawaiian entertainment. As round up of a day’s visit, you can visit the evening show, where more than a hundred performers come together to provide a Polynesian spectacle. Throughout the visit and the website, the emphasis is on the authenticity of the experience, in some ways, I think, because there is an awareness of the constructedness of the place. The mission is to educate visitors about Polynesia, but the visitor experience is designed to consume culture.
Authentic natives perform wearing traditional tapa clothing in authentic villages with traditional thatched houses. The traditional is highlighted and called authentic. The encounter with natives happens under the gaze of the foreigner. There is a disparity between what people expect and take away with them and what is actuality. Does the Polynesian Cultural Centre construct a certain ideal of the Polynesian native that the visitor will not encounter anywhere else on the islands? Is Polynesia as cultural sphere likewise a construction? Are the performers seen as authentic contemporary people? What do the performers think about authenticity in their displays?
Contributed by KiahRutz on 11/02/2018
