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Overview
The ASB Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, or Polyfest, began in 1975 and is held in Auckland in March every year. In 2005, over 8000 competing students from more than fifty schools celebrated the festival's theme: 'Through unity, harmony will grow'. At the time, Polyfest involved five core competing ethnic groups - New Zealand Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands, and Niuean - performing simultaneously on five stages.
The costume
This 'ulalei (replica whale tooth necklace) is part of a dance costume worn at Polyfest 2005 by students of the Sāmoan group from De La Salle College in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.
The full costume includes a white 'ie lavalava (wrap around) decorated with dark blue motifs along the bottom edge and on the front. Mr Ben Valeni, the teacher in charge of the Sāmoan group, designed the motifs inspired by Sāmoan siapo (tapa) and tatau (tattooing) patterns. To complete the outfit, the dancers also wore 'ulalei (replica whale tooth necklaces) with an ili (fan) painted with the letter D.
The college
De La Salle College was established by the De La Salle Brothers in 1953. It provides a Catholic education to boys from Years 7 to Year 13, and is named after St John Baptiste De La Salle (1651 1719) the Patron Saint of Christian Teachers.