As millions of children around the world rush to cinemas to catch the much-awaited sequel to Disney’s Moana, some adults from islands represented in the film have paused to question its impact.
Ethnic and cultural representation on screen has seen some young Pacific children find renewed interest and pride in their traditions, thanks to Moana. However, representation is not always positive and culturally sensitive.
Disney has not always had the best track record for handling the stories of Indigenous peoples from around the world. Its creative liberties with the story of Pocahontas (or rightfully, Amonute), another young Indigenous girl and her culture prior to colonial influences, continues to be the topic of controversy. Disney has improved its reputation significantly since the 1995 release of Pocahontas and deserves some credit for making the effort for proper research and consultation before storyboarding Moana.
Prior to the release of Moana (2016), Disney creatives formed the Oceanic Trust, a collective of Pacific Islanders with knowledge of the culture, traditions, tools, vessels, languages, and people Disney sought to depict in the movie. Among these historians, anthropologists, linguists, and cultural consultants of Pacific heritage was Rotuman academic, playwright, and filmmaker Professor Vilsoni Hereniko.
“I was a cultural consultant for Disney’s original Moana. I think the first one struck a satisfactory balance between the source material and the final story that ended up on screen,”
Professor Hereniko shared in a recent interview with Islands Business.
“I saw it seven times on the big screen and it held my interest each time. There is a
cultural reference that I could refer to that I knew informed what ended up on screen. The only thing that did not have any cultural reference in the original Moana is the singing crab sequence which Disney made up.”
While some creative liberties are within reason, the film to correct than the earlier costume controversy, should those it offends bring it to the Disney Store’s attention.
“I think Pacific Islanders who find themselves collaborating with Disney could educate Disney about matters to do with cultural ownership and how best to navigate the fine line between commerce and art. It is better to be a part of the solution than to just throw stones at Disney from the sidelines and do nothing but complain,” Hereniko said about the use of traditional designs in Disney’s Moana merchandise.
While some issues persist, as expected when a global brand takes on the stories of a culture so different from their usual projects, the film has been well-received by children and parents alike, if the reaction of families exiting the screenings of Moana 2 in Suva is any guide. The sequel, with its high action, colourful characters, catchy songs, and themes of uniting the Pacific through a shared culture of ocean travel, being a work of fiction aimed at a young audience, the inclusion of a ‘singing crab’ did not stir negativity.
Hereniko noted that consultants were hesitant to share the intricacies of Pacific ideas of the afterlife, due to such knowledge being sacred.
“But I was very forthcoming with everything else because I knew Disney was going to tell a story about us regardless, so I wanted to help them tell the best story possible,” Hereniko said.
“It is very difficult to tell a story set several thousand years ago. This kind of source material requires talking to elders, those in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. These are the holders of ancient knowledge and wisdom. I know that for the original Moana, the directors went to the islands themselves and tried their best to talk to the old people.”
The efforts by the Disney creatives in avoiding a repeat of controversies associated with earlier projects, largely proved successful. However, while the film itself has been received positively, some merchandising issues appear to persist, as merchandise design is in the hands of a separate team than that which handled the film itself.
In 2016, Disney was forced to pull an item off their shelves for being labelled cultural appropriation. A full-body suit of the character Maui, the demigod from the film Moana, was released as part of the promotional merchandise for the film before being accused of ‘brownface’. The costume, marketed for children, included a brown skin suit complete with traditional tattoos.
While Disney pulled the item off shelves and issued a public apology for the oversight, stating, “The team behind Moana has taken great care to respect the cultures of the Pacific Islands that inspired the film, and we regret that the Maui costume has offended some”, issues with merchandising appear to persist.
As of December 14, 2024, the official Disney Store website lists a tote bag under the category of Moana merchandise that apparently depicts ‘Aztec’ patterns. The item listed as ‘Moana teal Aztec pattern tote’ has yet to be addressed by Disney for conflating two distinct cultures from separate parts of the world into one. This oversight, however, is much easier to correct than the earlier costume controversy, should those it offends bring it to the Disney Store’s attention.
“I think Pacific Islanders who find themselves collaborating with Disney could educate Disney about matters to do with cultural ownership and how best to navigate the fine line between commerce and art. It is better to be a part of the solution than to just throw stones at Disney from the sidelines and do nothing but complain,” Hereniko said about the use of traditional designs in Disney’s Moana merchandise.
While some issues persist, as expected when a global brand takes on the stories of a culture so different from their usual projects, the film has been well-received by children and parents alike, if the reaction of families exiting the screenings of Moana 2 in Suva is any guide. The sequel, with its high action, colourful characters, catchy songs, and themes of uniting the Pacific through a shared culture of ocean travel, being a work of fiction aimed at a young audience, the inclusion of a ‘singing crab’ did not stir negativity.
Hereniko noted that consultants were hesitant to share the intricacies of Pacific ideas of the afterlife, due to such knowledge being sacred.
“But I was very forthcoming with everything else because I knew Disney was going to tell a story about us regardless, so I wanted to help them tell the best story possible,” Hereniko said.
“It is very difficult to tell a story set several thousand years ago. This kind of source material requires talking to elders, those in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. These are the holders of ancient knowledge and wisdom. I know that for the original Moana, the directors went to the islands themselves and tried their best to talk to the old people.”
The efforts by the Disney creatives in avoiding a repeat of controversies associated with earlier projects, largely proved successful. However, while the film itself has been received positively, some merchandising issues appear to persist, as merchandise design is in the hands of a separate team than that which handled the film itself.
In 2016, Disney was forced to pull an item off their shelves for being labelled cultural appropriation. A full-body suit of the character Maui, the demigod from the film Moana, was released as part of the promotional merchandise for the film before being accused of ‘brownface’. The costume, marketed for children, included a brown skin suit complete with traditional tattoos.
While Disney pulled the item off shelves and issued a public apology for the oversight, stating, “The team behind Moana has taken great care to respect the cultures of the Pacific Islands that inspired the film, and we regret that the Maui costume has offended some”, issues with merchandising appear to persist.
As of December 14, 2024, the official Disney Store website lists a tote bag under the category of Moana merchandise that apparently depicts ‘Aztec’ patterns. The item listed as ‘Moana teal Aztec pattern tote’ has yet to be addressed by Disney for conflating two distinct cultures from separate parts of the world into one. This oversight, however, is much easier appeared to delight audiences of all ages.
Hereniko said the film must be viewed with its profit-centric intentions and global audience in mind.
“Pacific Islanders who complain about Disney should try their best to get into filmmaking and see if they can do better,” he encouraged. “I say this because filmmaking is a business for Disney and people need to understand that for a studio, they have to profit from the product they make, so entertainment and pandering to the audience is what they excel in. Don’t go to a Disney film expecting accuracy and depth. Go to be entertained.
“Disney is selling a product, so it makes movies with this in mind. It can only do so much for our Pacific cultures. If you want to see authentic representation, seek out the films by indigenous filmmakers who tell stories based on their own real-life experiences of contemporary culture today,” he added.
“If parents want their children to see animated films that are nuanced and have cultural specificity, integrity, and enhance the dignity of a native people in a way that doesn’t treat them as a people and culture for sale, then a film like The Queen’s Flowers (2024) directed by the native Hawaiian filmmaker Ciara Lacy is what they should show their children,” Hereniko suggested.
The film is available to view online and is reportedly being considered for nomination for an Oscar in 2025. Hereniko himself has several film projects under his belt, including The Land Has Eyes.
“Making millions and millions of dollars at the box office is not the reason I made The Land Has Eyes,” he shared.
“That film is a ‘love letter’ to my people – it is in the Rotuman language and portrays us as complex humans who are kind, hardworking, and religious, but who can also be corrupt. We laugh, we cry, and we have ambitions.”
While Disney’s Moana franchise has brought global attention to the Pacific and provided countless young children characters with Pacific heritage to look up to and identify with, the most nuanced and culturally accurate depictions of our people will always come from within our people.
