@teehrv17
Selesitila HarveyFor a long time, I thought I had to prove I was Polynesian enough. 🤎🌺 I thought I needed to be browner, speak the language fluently, be a better singer, or excel in the things I saw other Polynesians celebrated for. And somewhere along the way, I started measuring my belonging by the things I wasn’t instead of embracing the things I was. But dance has always brought me back to myself. It’s one of the ways I feel connected to my culture, my ancestors, my roots, and the generations who came before me. It’s a reminder that my culture isn’t something I have to earn the right to be proud of. And it’s taught me that we all have our own way of shining. ✨ Your light might look different from mine, and mine might look different from yours. That doesn’t make either of us any less valuable. We don’t have to compete over whose light is brighter, whose gifts are more impressive, or whose expression of culture looks the most authentic. We can simply celebrate one another. Because the world has enough darkness, enough comparison, and enough reasons to make us feel like we’re not enough. The world needs all the light it can get. 🌎✨ So please, share your joy. Embrace your gifts. Celebrate your culture. Be proud of the things that make you you. And don’t dim your light just because it shines differently from someone else’s. 🤎🌺 #polynesian #samoan #maori #culture #differences
On the profile · Oct 21, 2026