The impact of climate change in South Pacific and Indigenous communities in Canada is a big topic, and it’s what One Wave Gathering is exploring this year. The annual day-long arts and culture celebration, put on by the Pacific Peoples’ Partnership, will also be an open door for community members to learn about South Pacific and Indigenous culture in general.
“The One Wave Gathering festival is to celebrate South Pacific culture and First Nations culture, merging them together because there is a South Pacific community here in Victoria, and it’s just a chance for people to understand issues, like climate change and sea level rising, that’s really affecting the South Pacific,” says festival organizer Ksid Kloulechad.
Kloulechad says the festival’s themes are explored through arts and culture.
“The themes are health and environment, and so the purpose of this festival is to bring awareness about the struggles of environmental issues both in the South Pacific and the Indigenous communities here in Canada,” she says. “Even just the health concerns, showing that Indigenous health is very affected, and they need more support in these remote communities, or even just here in Canada, but there needs to be bigger support.”
Kloulechad finds her work at Pacific People’s Partnership very meaningful to her life because it allows her to feel at home while in Canada.
“I am from Palau, a small country in the South Pacific,” says Kloulechad. “And being able to find an organization that works in the South Pacific is very meaningful to me. In a way it was just a way for me to work from home away from home, if that makes sense.”
Kloulechad says that the thing that she enjoyed most about organizing One Wave is the teamwork involved in putting the whole event together.
“What I enjoyed most is hearing ideas with different people being bounced back and forth and being able to create different kinds of programs,” says Klouleched. “My role is to create programs and coordinating things, like what needs to be done and what is the budget to pull off these events, and just talking to people who we can partner up with and offer amazing seminars and workshops, and just a big celebration.”
In-person arts and culture events are still feeling the repercussions of the pandemic, and that includes the One Wave Gathering. Kloulechad says that many of the grants they were supposed to receive were less than expected due to the impact that the pandemic had on the Canadian economy.
“The main struggle was just how the pandemic has really affected economy,” she says, “and how some grants only gave us half of what we requested.”
The main thing that Kloulechad is excited for about the festival is celebrating her culture and other Indigenous cultures with the entire community.
“My favourite thing that I am looking forward to is the community celebration that will be happening at Fishermen’s Wharf,” says Klouleched. “There are a lot of Indigenous artists, like dancers and singers. And enjoying seeing everybody smiling and enjoying the festival.”
Klouleched says that the main thing she wants the audience to take away from the festival is some perspective about Indigenous peoples’ struggles with climate change.
“I just want them to take away a little bit of knowledge about the South Pacific,” says Klouleched, “and understanding that Indigenous people are striving and we have a lot to share about our culture and we are always willing to share with them.”
One Wave Gathering
12 pm to 6 pm Saturday, September 17
Fisherman’s Wharf
Free
pacificpeoplespartnership.org