SALT LAKE CITY — With the passage of time, the connections of Utah's younger generations of Pacific Islanders to the region can start to slip.

With that in mind, Haviar Hafoka, creative director of Malialole Polynesian Cultural Arts, says the High School Pacific Island Cultural Arts Festival serves to counter the tendency and reinforce Polynesian cultural traditions in the group. The second and third generations of Pacific Islanders start to lose touch with island culture, and the annual Utah event, Hafoka said, "is a way to regain it."

This year's installment of the festival, organized by Malialole, will be held Saturday at West High School in Salt Lake City, going from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. It will feature traditional performances from groups of Pacific Islander students from more than a dozen Utah high schools as well as food, craft vendors and more. Among the featured guests will be a group of performers traveling from Kahuku High School in Kahuku, Hawaii.

The event "helps them reconnect with culture but also connect with other Pacific Island students from throughout the (Salt Lake) Valley," Hafoka said.

As is, the relatively small pockets of students scattered around Utah can feel a sense of isolation in their varied schools and the annual festival gives them an opportunity to put their traditional culture front and center.

"The biggest issue is about being seen," Hafoka said. "We're thousands of miles away from home and we're here in the desert."

Respect is a big part of Pacific Islander culture, Hafoka said. The unique dance of the zone, meantime, is characterized by "lyrical hand motions" evocative of sign language.

Entry to the event is $2 or donation of three non-perishable food items. Last year's event drew around 3,000 visitors over the course of the day's activities.

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