PROJECT TALA.

In attempt to preserve our Polynesian traditions, Enoch Lui (Tongan decent) and I (Samoan decent) came up with Project Tala. “Tala” means “story” in both Samoan and Tongan. In many Polynesian cultures, stories and traditions are only shared by word of mouth. With younger generations being born away from the islands, parts of the culture are slowly being forgotten. 

In downtown Provo, we painted a mural in honor of our Polynesian ancestors who immigrated to the Utah Valley. The left half consists of traditional Samoan designs and the right half is Tongan. Our purpose was not only to share our culture, but remember our culture. The Polynesian community, as well as other friends and family, helped us to complete the mural, which was featured in campus and local newspapers. It was also shared on multiple social media channels.

Our plan is to eventually create a platform for people to share their family stories online and then transform those stories into animations, poems, illustrations and other works for future generations to see.