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.
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.
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!
What's the difference between Polynesians and Samoans?
Samoans are mainly of Polynesian heritage, and about nine-tenths of the population are ethnic Samoans. Euronesians (people of mixed European and Polynesian ancestry) account for most of the rest of the population, and a tiny fraction are of wholly European heritage.
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.
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.
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.
But fans of the beloved animated film are questioning the company's choice to cast Agudong for the role based on her ethnicity and skin complexion. Lilo and her family are Pacific Islanders of Hawaiian descent.
Native peoples of the Pacific resumed voyaging again a thousand years later. Clements and Musker set the film at that point in time, about two thousand years ago, on a fictional island in the central Pacific Ocean, which drew inspiration from elements of the real-life island nations of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
The arrival of fast food restaurants and other contemporary food items on the islands are one of the issues responsible for the obesity in Samoa. The earliest photographs of Samoans provide visual proof of the native population's natural physique before the introduction of processed foods by Western society.
Samoans refer to people from Samoa, a completely different country southwest to the Hawaiian islands - Samoan Americans live in American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the US, which is located near Samoa but is on the opposite side of the International Date Line.
Disney's Moana hired a board of Polynesian cultural experts to ensure Polynesian history and the myth of Maui were respectfully portrayed. Disney's Moana was inspired by Polynesian myths, history, and culture and has been widely praised for its efforts at cultural authenticity.
Māui is a demi-god who is popular in the Native Hawaiian culture. He is known for being the “trickster.” It is said that he owns a great fish-hook called Manaiakalani. Legend has it that Māui created the Hawaiian islands by tricking his brothers into going fishing with him.
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.
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.
One of the largest issues critics have with “Moana,” they said, is that it perpetuates the stereotypical image of the Pacific as an exotic tropical getaway. They argue that it continues American colonialism of the region. “In Hawaii, the impact of the American occupation is something nobody wants to see," Kelly said.
Moana—pronounced “moh-AH-nah,” not “MWAH-nah” means “ocean”—and the character is chosen by the sea itself to return the stolen heart of Te Fiti, who turns out to be an island deity (Tahiti, in its various linguistic forms, including Tafiti, is a pan-Polynesian word for any faraway place).
Moana's home island, Motunui, is fictional, but the production team drew a map of Moana's journey (which can be found in the book The Art of Moana) that places Motunui east of Tonga, near the real-world location of Niue. Te Fiti's island was based on Tahiti.
Samoa's first people were seafarers who, guided by the stars, arrived on outrigger canoes around 1,000BC. Ancient myths and legends say the first people descended from the heavens and gods to inhabit these islands, however, It is believed they came from Tonga.
He is one of the highest paid actors in the world and we are proud that he is Samoan. Dwayne Johnson is talented, handsome, funny, and an all around bad ass. Johnson moved from Football to Wrestling to the big screen and is the most famous Samoan to date.
Genetics: Genetics play a significant role in determining a person's physical attributes, including height and body composition. Samoans may have genetic factors that contribute to their larger body size and muscle mass.
