Pacific Pageants Moving Into A New Era Of Youth Activism?

As 15 tama’ita’i Samoa took to the stage at Matagialalua Friendship Park last night for Night One of the 2024 Miss Samoa pageant, even the usual slightly voyeuristic ‘sarong’ category was a vehicle for messaging.

The stage of the pageant is now staging a different sort of ‘Queen’ as nearly half the contestants used their original designs and meanings to promote topics like climate change, the manumea survival, coral reef regeneration or put a spotlight on cultural sovereignty.

For Miss Pacific Climate Warriors, Brianna Fruean, the most visible in her activism, choosing to use the pageant as an important speaking platform was always a strategy to target Pacific youth.

Her puletasi was designed by award winning Samoan designer and star of project runway Afa Ah Loo

"My Sarong and Puletasi were no different. The looks not only pointed to lessons but also legacy. I wanted to honour the movements of the past with the Mau and the movement of the present with the climate warriors renewable energy campaign. They were both my way of honouring activists and movement leaders who have inspired me" - Miss Pacific Climate Warriors, Brianna Fruean

Miss Pacific Islands, where the winner of Miss Samoa will head, is usually the wider regional platform where Pacific issues are highlighted in stage interviews and speeches.

Miss Samoa and the recent Miss Solomon Islands pageant are now following suit, where young women are putting forward strong issue based views on the region as part of their campaigns.

The days of pageant prettiness may now be past as the world tries to move on from the judging of women’s looks in a comparative colonial model of ‘beauty’

These young tama’ita’i Samoa understand that voicing the concerns of the region are part of the ambassadorial package of the role, and the strong social media following of young Pacifica women in particular.

A path forged by Moemoana Safa'ato'a Schwenke and her meteoric rise to celebrity status with her youth community work and string social advocacy.

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Photos: Screengrabs / TV1 Samoa Livestream

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By Tikilounge Productions & Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa