In this episode of Fun with Maps we look at three Caledonia's! First, is the original Caledonia - Scotland. Scotland was called Caledonia by the Roman Empire and it is still a romantic or poetic name for Scotland. The folk song "Caledonia" written by Dougie MacLean in 1977 is considered as an unofficial national anthem of Scotland. We touch on Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall as well.
Did you know that the second Caledonia is in what is now British Colombia in Canada? New Caledonia was a fur-trading district of the Hudson Bay Company (HBC). Simon Fraser of HBC thought the terrain reminded him of the Scottish Highlands so he named it New Caledonia.
The third Caledonia is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean about 750 miles east of Australia. When explorer James Cook sighted the land on his second voyage in 1774 he, like Fraser in Canada, thought it was reminiscent of Scotland so he named it New Caledonia. In 1853 under orders of Emperor Napoleon III France took possession and so it is part of the Republic of France. They sent 22,000 convicts and political prisoners there in the late 1800's. There have been three referendums so far to vote on independence from France and possibly become the Kanak Republic. The Kanaks are the indigenous people of the islands and make up a little over 40% of the population. All three referendums have failed so far.
New Caledonia was an important Allied base in World War II. As you will see the main South Pacific Fleet of the US Navy moved to New Caledonia's capital of Noumea in 1942 and turned back the Japanese Navy in the Battle of the Coral Sea.
In this video we touch on some popular songs, shout out to Sheldon Cooper of the Big Bang Theory and learn why Tesla agreed to a partnership with the Goro Mine on the island. (Hint: the mines are full of nickel which is needed for lithium-ion batteries.)
MotivAsians for Cleveland is a non-profit organization established to cultivate a vibrant Asian community for Greater Cleveland by promoting the attraction and retention of Asian-American professionals. They hosted their first Taste of Asia gala banquet in the Dolan center of John Carroll University on Saturday November 2, 2024. The evening included Asian food, entertainment, cultural performances, silent auction and more including Polynesian dances from Pacific Paradise Entertainment.
Pacific Paradise Entertainment Dance
Watch a video of the first two dances from Pacific Paradise Entertainment.
The next dance emphasized the hip movement to the drum beat. Watch.
For the final dance they called up volunteers from the audience who put on grass skirts. Then they taught the basic moves by calling out 4 fruits: mango, coconut, pineapple and banana. Then a smoothie to mix them all together.
Audience Participation Polynesian Dance by Pacific Paradise
The 2024 Cleveland Asian Festival was a rousing success. Almost 50,000 people attended the annual 2 day festival that included performances, food, cultural displays, health screenings, games, kids and family activities and more.
Asia Plaza roof shot of crowd at Cleveland Asian Festival
There were traditional and modern performances on two stages. There was something for everyone. Younger people really liked the Asian Pop Dance Competition. Plenty of martial arts on the second stage. And so on.
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation presented a series of World on Stage events during the summer of 2023 at the Centennial Peace Plaza in the Gardens. The September 9, 2023 event celebrated Asian heritage and culture. Pacific Paradise Entertainment performed Polynesian dances from Hawaii, New Zealand, Samoa and Tahiti.
Pacific Paradise Entertainment is a group of friends and family who love to showcase the Polynesian culture through Hula, Tahitian and Polynesian dancing. They performed in varios Cultural Gardens (Syrian, Czech, Serbian, etc.) on One Wolrd Day on August 28, 2022.
Pacific Paradise dancers in front of Syrian Garden
Pacific Paradise Entertainment at Cleveland Asian Festival
Pacific Paradise Entertainment is a group of friends and family who love to showcase the Polynesian culture through Hula, Tahitian and Polynesian dancing. They performed at the 2022 Cleveland Asian Festival.
Pacific Paradise Entertainment at Cleveland Asian Festival
Watch the video of a song that uses sticks on the ground to keep the beat.
Cleveland Asian Festival 2022
The annual Cleveland Asian Festival was back live after being virtual during Covid and over 30,000 people came to AsiaTown to enjoy it.
The Cleveland Asian Festival (CAF) is a grassroots festival that highlights Cleveland's AsiaTown, Diversity, and Asian Culture in Northeast Ohio. It was organized in 2010 by volunteer community leaders to celebrate Cleveland's diversity and Asian Pacific American Heritage month (May).
The mission of CAF has remained the same over the years:
Strengthening the identity of AsiaTown and supporting its economic growth
Educating and promoting Asian culture and traditions
Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Cleveland's Diversity
The 10th annual Cleveland Asian Festival was held on the weekend of May 18 and 19 in Cleveland's AsiaTown neighborhood on Payne Avenue. It has become a not-to-miss annual event with great entertainment, food, shopping and fun.
The 2018 Cleveland Asian Festival was another huge success. The 9th annual Cleveland Asian Festival was held on the weekend of May 19 and 20 in Cleveland's AsiaTown neighborhood on Payne Avenue. It has become a not-to-miss annual event with great entertainment, food, shopping and fun.
Fashions from Polynesian Islands at Cleveland multicultural party
A highlight of the 8th Annual ICC-WIN Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at the Global Center for Health Innovation in Cleveland was the International Fashion Show featuring almost 100 models from about 30 countries.
Gideon Lorete and Phola Sade Adu represented the Polynesian Islands. The Polynesians are the original inhabitants of a vast string of islands in the Pacific Ocean, from New Zealand in the south to Hawaii in the north. The cultures of the region share many traits with each other. Their differences are often subtle and not readily perceived by outsiders.
Mana from Hula Fusion gave a taste of Polynesia at the 8th Annual ICC-WIN Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration. Mana is from the Island of Saipan and performed a Hawaiian war dance.
Mana from Hula Fusion
Next was the Tewe Tewe dance.
The grand finale was a New Zealand dance with poi balls that Mana calls Electric Poi.
International students from around the world who are attending school in Cleveland attended InterCLE 2017, a grand welcome for international students hosted by Global Cleveland and Friends of Global Cleveland a new, international young professionals group and with the support of the City of Cleveland. Hula Fusion performed for the 400 attendees.
Hula Fusion performed at the 8th annual Cleveland Asian Festival. Their grand finale was a fire dance and then a hula.
2016
Hula Fusion Polynesian Ensemble
One of the highlights of the 7th annual Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration put on by the International Community Council Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) in Cleveland at the Global Center for Health Innovation was the performance of the Hula Fusion Polynesian Ensemble.
A highlight of the 7th annual Holiday Celebration of Cleveland's Diversity held in the atrium of the Global Center for Health Innovation in the Cleveland Convention Center by the International Community Council-Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) was the multicultural fashion show.
A highlight of the 6th annual Holiday Celebration of Cleveland's Diversity held in the atrium of the Global Center for Health Innovation in the Cleveland Convention Center by the International Community Council-Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) was the multicultural fashion show.
A classic part of Hawaii's wardrobe having similar patterns and colors are the Muumuu and Aloha shirt representing the traditional wear of men and women of Hawaii as both pieces are descendants from the missionary design to which was forced upon the native people. The best quality of shirts and muumuus are made of natural cotton and silk imprinting the beautiful feature of floral patterns native to Hawaii. The haku and lei are key pieces too.
Hula Fusion Pacific Islands dancers at Cleveland One World Day
Hula Fusion, under the direction of Audrey Godoy, performed dances from the Pacific Islands at the 70th annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. Their performance was part of the annual Cleveland International Folk Festival and this is the ending part.
The 4th annual Cleveland Asian Festival attracted 38,380 attendees over the weekend of May 18-19, 2013. They spent over $2 million in the AsiaTown neighborhood. There were dozens of performances from local, regional, and national performing groups including headliner Cheesa from NBC's The Voice.
People enjoyed Asian cuisine from over 20 different restaurants and shopping in the World Market which was filled with merchants of Asian themed products while sponsors had informational displays at their tent.
Report on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders
Asian Services In Action, Inc. (ASIA), in partnership with APIAVote, presented key findings from A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the Midwest, 2012 on October 29, 2012 at the Ariel International Center in Cleveland.
Marita Etcubanez, Director of Programs, Asian American Justice Center
The Ohana Aloha Polynesian Dancers performed traditional Hawaiian Island dances at the ClevelandPeople.Com International Pavilion at Ohio's Celtic and International Festival in September 2012.
Organizations and Resources for Pacific Islanders in Cleveland
According to Wikipedia, the Pacific Ocean contains an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 islands (the exact number has yet to be precisely determined). Those islands lying south of the tropic of Cancer but excluding Australia are traditionally grouped into three divisions: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Inhabitants are sometimes referred to as Pacific Islanders.
Melanesia means black islands. These include New Guinea (the largest Pacific island, which is divided into the sovereign nation of Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian provinces of Maluku, Papua and West Papua), New Caledonia, Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait Islands),Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.
Micronesia means small islands. These include the Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Most of these lie north of the equator.
Polynesia means many islands. These include New Zealand, the Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, the Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island. It is the largest of the three zones.
In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004.
Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.
The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996.
In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.
If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Pacific Islander community, please contact us.
