Disney's Moana Cultural Analysis

Premiering in late 2016, Disney’s Moana has been critically acclaimed for its riveting exploration of the Pacific and indigenous self-identity. Though cast in a classic Disney way, Moana does offer a unique explanation to “the Long Pause”, a period derelict of Oceanic voyaging (Dickson, 2003).

However, despite its box office success and idiosyncratic historical interpretation, scholars are outraged by Moana’s cultural appropriation of Oceania. Although Disney has received similar criticism from its other productions--most notably Aladdin, with its orientalist views--the conglomerate argues that “they did their homework”, relying on the Pacific Advisory Board--named the Oceanic Story Trust--for authenticity (Sciretta, 2016). Despite their claim,

The Heart of Te Fiti is a Maori (Aotearoa/New Zealand) greenstone. The goddess Te Fiti is the physical manifestation of Tahiti. The Kakamora are the tricksters of the Solomon Islands. The clothing and adornments are inspired by Tonga and Samoa. Even the soundtrack has traces of Tuvalu and Tokelau. To claim Polynesia as the frontrunner for this cultural representation is irresponsible, and serves as a concrete example of the Western view of Oceania: islands of the sea (Hau’ofa,

Within many circles, “coconut nigger” is a racial slur for brown peoples originating from the Pacific, though it has adapted to suit individuals as far as Northern Sumatra and the Eastern United States. Many Western scholars postulate that the reference to coconuts was simply indicative to a region and not a people. Oceanic scholars however rebuke this claim, as the Kakamora in the film were delineated as a race of dark, coconut-centric freaks willing to kill others for objects. This silhouettes the Western notion that Pacific Islanders were savage, unintelligent people who needed saving (Hau’ofa, 1994), contrary to popular belief within the Pacific basin