Every four years, the Marquesas Islands organize the Art Festival with the
participation of several delegations from the Polynesian triangle, such
as Hawaii, Easter Islands, Fiji, Tahiti, etc..

The last Art Festival was held in December 2003 on the island of Hiva Oa.
The next one will be in 2007 in the island of Ua Pou. For the first time,
the island of Tahuata will organize a mini festival gathering only the
Marquesan population on March 6-8, 2006. The purpose of this Matava'a Iti
is to preserve the Marquesan culture, to consolidate and to deepen the
cultural relationship among the group of islands from the archipelago and
the Marquesan population living in Tahiti.

The theme of this Matava'a Iti is the breadfruit (the Me'i), a symbol of
the cultural link between the Marquesan with their past, which must be
preserved in order to pass on to future generations.