So it all works out in the end: Moana is not from Hawaii, and neither is she from New Zealand. She has to come from Tonga or Samoa, the two first archipelagoes where the Polynesian People was born. They were the only Polynesian islands with a population at the time…
Although Moana is from the fictional island Motunui some 3,000 years ago, the story and culture of Moana is based on the very real heritage and history of Polynesian islands such as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and Tahiti. In fact, once you start looking for ties to Polynesian culture in Moana, it's hard to stop!
If you're short on time, here's a quick answer to your question: Moana is considered both Polynesian and Hawaiian in different respects. She was created by Disney as an amalgamation of various Polynesian cultures and mythologies, but is set specifically on the Hawaiian island of Motunui.
Some enjoy the movie but believe Maui should have been portrayed as a warrior. "As a proud Polynesian woman, it's not often that you see a film like Moana come out. It headlines our Pasifika culture, and it's lead by our Polynesian artists in the industry.
In Māori mythology, as in other Polynesian traditions, Māui is a culture hero and a trickster, famous for his exploits and cleverness. He possessed superhuman strength, and was capable of shapeshifting into animals such as birds and worms.
“Uncle Moana was a man who always waited to be called on and was never one to jump in front of the limelight,” Jackson said. Born in 1945, Jackson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Porou) was the son of an All Black, Everard Jackson, and brother of prominent Māori activist and trade unionist Syd Jackson.
In Moana, Disney creators employed some creative license, but they did highlight some actual Polynesian origin myths. In “The Maui Myths,” Maori natives of Tolago (today called Tolaga) Bay, North Island, New Zealand recount Maui's mytho-history which aided in the creation of Moana.
The majority of the film's cast members are of Polynesian descent: Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana) and Nicole Scherzinger (Sina, Moana's mother) were born in Hawaii and are of Native Hawaiian heritage; Dwayne Johnson (Maui), Oscar Kightley (Fisherman), and Troy Polamalu (Villager No. 1) are of Samoan heritage; and New Zealand- ...
Thanks to Disney, the Polynesian people were put in the limelight. However, there are several points between Moana and real history that do not compare. Maui, for example, is a real demigod in Polynesian culture who works toward the good of humankind.
Filmmakers charted out relative distances in the world they created. Te Fiti, another island in the film, was based on Tahiti, and the tattoos on Dwayne Johnson's character, Maui, are modeled on Marquesan tattoos. “Such specificity helped to keep things organized,” Gooding says.
The fictional movie takes place 3,000 years ago in the islands of Polynesia, an area that includes Hawaii, Tonga and Tahiti. The star is 16-year-old Moana, voiced by Hawaiian actress Auli'i Cravalho, who goes on an ocean voyage with Maui, voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Samoan is closely related to Maori, Tahitian, Hawaiian and Tongan languages. While it is not necessarily mutually intelligible with the other dialects, many words are identical or similar. Samoan also has a polite variant used in formal communication and a colloquial form used in daily communication.
The quaint West Coast town of Moana is located on the banks of the magnificent Lake Brunner, midway between Arthur's Pass and Greymouth on the TranzAlpine train route. This area is stunningly beautiful, with mountains rising above the glassy waters of the West Coast region's largest lake.
Hawaiian, any of the aboriginal people of Hawaii, descendants of Polynesians who migrated to Hawaii in two waves: the first from the Marquesas Islands, probably about ad 400; the second from Tahiti in the 9th or 10th century.
1. (noun) sea, ocean, large lake. Kei te mōhio katoa rātau ki ngā tauranga tāmure, tauranga tarakihi, tauranga hāpuku me ērā atu ika o te moana (TWK 54:3). / They know all the fishing grounds for snapper, tarakihi, groper and those other fish of the sea.
Tattoos on the Maui character show a denotative meaning regarding the achievements and journey of the demigod Maui's life. The connotative meaning of a Maui character tattoo is to convey the true character of Maui using tattoo symbols in Polynesian culture.
Moana was briefly married to New Zealand politician and radio personality Willie Jackson, during which time she was known as Moana Maniapoto-Jackson; they divorced in 2001. In 2016, Moana was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.
At 16 years old, Moana of Motunui has a slender yet muscular build that sets her apart from previous Disney princesses and heroines. She has brown eyes with thick eyebrows, full brownish-pink lips, and long, wavy, black hair. Moana usually wears her hair down, only tying it in a top bun sporadically when sailing.
Among the iwi of New Zealand, Hina is usually considered to be either the elder sister or the wife of Māui. The most common story that presents Hina as the wife of Māui tells of Te Tunaroa, the father of all eels, who one day visited the pool where Hina bathed.
Polynesia (UK: /ˌpɒlɪˈniːziə/ POL-in-EE-zee-ə, US: /-ˈniːʒə/ -EE-zhə) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean.
