All showings of the film were entirely in Māori without English subtitles. The film centers around a Polynesian princess named Moana, who travels the sea on an adventure to help bring peace to her homeland. The film borrowed many Māori mythologies in the narrative and sparked debate about cultural sensitivity.

What is the native language of Moana?

So far, Moana's Tahitian dub was only available for schools and institutions but never to the general public. There's also a version of Moana dubbed in the Māori language, also available now on Disney+. Bambi, The Lion King, and Moana are not the first movies to get an indigenous language dub available on Disney+.

What language is Samoan in Moana?

The songs' lyrics are In Foa'I's native tongue of Samoan and Tokelauan as well as English, and originally contained three verses in his native tongue. Foa'I was born in Samoa to Tokelauan and Tuvaluan parents, but immigrated to New Zealand at the age of 9.

Is Moana supposed to be Maori?

Its narrative is inspired by the legends of South Pacific Ocean cultures, including the Maori (though the extent to which Moana handles these legends with sensitivity and accuracy has been subject to some debate).

Is Maui from Moana Filipino?

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.

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Is Moana supposed to be Hawaiian or Samoan?

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.

Are Samoan and Maori the same?

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.

What does Maui mean in Hawaiian?

Meaning:Trickster god. Maui is a boy's name of Hawaiian and Maori origin. This name belongs to a trickster god in Polynesian mythology, and was also given to one of the Hawaiian islands. The 2016 Disney film Moana brought the name Maui into popular culture with Dwayne Johnson's playful portrayal of the god.

Was Moana from Tahiti?

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.

What Moana means in Hawaii?

It is a beautiful Hawaiian given name meaning "ocean, sea, or expanse of water." The name has been a firm favorite among Polynesian communities for years, gaining global popularity with the release of Disney's epic animated film in 2016.

Is Maui from Moana Maori?

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.

Is the language from Moana real?

As far as I can tell, the non-English lyrics of the standout Moana song are in the Tokelauan language. This is the native language of Foa'i, who is the lead singer/songwriter for the group Te Vaka, and most of their songs are performed in this language as well.

Is there a Hawaiian version of Moana?

The Hawaiian-language version of Moana is being produced by the University of Hawaiʻi Academy for Creative Media (ACM) System in collaboration with Walt Disney Character Voices International.

Is the voice of Moana Hawaiian?

Auliʻi Cravalho's life changed forever at age 14 when she was cast as the voice of Disney's “Moana.” The Hawaiian native loved singing and acting, but they were just hobbies to her.

How do Polynesians feel about Moana?

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.

Is Moana and Maui dating?

In the Disney film Moana, the relationship between Moana and Maui is not romantic because Moana is a sixteen year old girl and Maui is thousands of years old. This is a step up from prior Disney movies.

Why are Samoans so big?

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.

Are Samoans and Hawaiians related?

American Samoa

(more than nine-tenths) is ethnically Samoan; there are tiny minorities of Tongan and Filipino origin and of people of mixed ethnicity. The Samoans are a Polynesian people closely related to the native peoples of New Zealand, French Polynesia, Hawaii, and Tonga.

What race is Samoan?

Samoans are Polynesian and there are few other distinct ethnic groups, though some elite Samoans have part Chinese or European (especially German) ancestry.

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.

What time period is Moana set?

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.

Did Hawaii have female chiefs?

Sacred female chiefs were largely restricted to Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii although there were some other instances in eastern Polynesia.