History repeated during the finale of the 35th Miss Pacific Islands pageant in Nauru last night when Miss Samoa Moemoana Schwenke was crowned the Miss Pacific Islands.
Schwenke's victory marked the first time in the pageant's history that a mother and daughter had both won the regional title.
Schwenke’s mother, MaryJane Mckibbin also won the title back in 1997.
The newly crowned queen is now the 8th Miss Samoa to have won the title, and Samoa joins the Cook Islands with the most winners of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant.
While featuring in the sarong category, the 23-year-old wore a vibrant canvas of purple and pink fuse that embodies the Miss Pacific Island pageant's theme, sustainable beauty beyond the reef, and this ecosystem is vital for marine life and local communities facing parrel from climate change.
During her stage interview with culture as her topic, Schwenke in her opinion was asked about the importance of preserving our Pacific's cultural heritage in the modern world.
The Samoan queen replied and said that it's important that we preserve our culture because it shapes our identity, values, and beliefs and it is encompassed by our language, dances, music and our way of storytelling.
She says this is why culture is important, and urges every Pacific islander to safeguard their culture through educational programmes.
