Hiri queen to promote culture

By ALPHONSE PORAU
NEWLY-crowned Hiri queen Olive Tau says preserving culture is important “for it portrays who we are”.
The Grade 11 student of Marianville Secondary School in Port Moresby was crowned during the Hiri Moale Fesitival in Port Moresby last weekend. She is from Poreporena village Hanubada in the National Capital District. Tau, 18, was among the 20 contestants for the crown.
She told The National that she was proud of the effort and determination put in by the villagers and her family in her bid for the crown contested annually.
“It is not the intelligence that bring us this far. It is the effort we put in to know our culture and its dignity,” she said.
“And I feel proud of what I have just achieved. It gave me the determination to be the queen.”
Tau said she was goal-oriented and aimed to be a diplomat and an ambassador of her culture.
She is looking forward to enter Beauty PNG Quest.
She encouraged future contestants and young people to preserve their cultures and not to let western influence take their cultures away.
The first runner-up was Boni Bitu from Porebada.
Second runner-up and Miss Hetura was Maha Asi from Tubusereia village.
The festival featured canoe racing sponsored by Central Governor Kila Haoda as part of the programme.