Hawaiian Language Review of Disney’s “Moana”

Hōʻike ʻAno no kō Disney Moana (Hawaiʻi)

ʻAuhea ʻoukou e nā pulapula Hawaiʻi, eō! Eia iho nei, ʻo wau ʻo Kolomona Keawekāne, e hōʻike i kuʻu mau manaʻo no ua kiʻi ʻoniʻoni kaha ʻia ʻo Moana ʻakahi nō ‘o Disney a ho’opuka maila ma ka Lā Hoʻomaikaʻi o ʻAmelika (ʻoia hoʻi ka Lā Kū ʻOkoʻa o Hawaiʻi ē). ʻO kēia kaʻu hōʻike ʻano mua loa nō ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi akā inā e hoihoi ai nā poʻe i kēia ʻano mea, hiki hoʻi iaʻu ke hana hou i kēia mua aku. Nolaila, hoʻomaka kākou. A i haʻi ʻia ʻoe: spoilers! 🙂

He aloha nō kā hoʻi au iā Moana! ʻElua o Moana ʻaoʻao aʻu e hoʻakāka ai: ʻo ka mua, kō ke kiʻi ʻoniʻoni kālaiʻūheona, a ʻo ka hope, ʻoia hoʻi kona mauli polenesia/Hawaiʻi. Mamua hoʻi o nā mea ʻē aʻe āpau wau e ʻī ana: ʻaʻole kēia he kiʻi ʻoni Hawaiʻi. Mamua o koʻu nānā ʻana aku iā ia, ua kuhi (hewa) au he kiʻi ʻoniʻoni nō ia no ke ola o ka poʻe polenesia mamua o kō lākou neʻe nui ʻana mai iā Hawaiʻi nei, ʻaʻole kā. Akā naʻe, aia ma ka puʻuwai o ua kiʻi ʻoni nei ka moʻolelo no nā kānaka o ka polenesia holoʻokoʻa.

Kō Moana Kālaiʻūheona (Aesthetics)

Ke hoʻomaka hoʻi nei au me ka mahalo nui ʻana i ka nani o Moana! Ma kēlā mea, kēia mea a ma nā mea āpau āu e ʻike ai ʻoe e mahalo ana i ka maiau o nā poʻe i hana ai maluna o ia papahana ma ke ʻano e kūlia ai i ka nuʻu, a he maʻalahi hoʻi ka ʻikena ma nā kīkoʻī hunehune o kēlā mea, kēia mea, e like me kō Moana lauoho, me kō ke kai ʻano kino, me nā huluhulu o Pua (ka puaʻa) lāua ʻo Heihei (ka moa kāne). Makemake nui au i kō lākou hōʻokoʻa ʻana iho i kō Māui mele ʻo “You’re Welcome” mai ka staila maʻamau o ke koena o ke kiʻi ʻoniʻoni. Hauʻoli hoʻi pū au i kō lākou koho ʻana aku iā ʻAuliʻi Cravalho no Moana: he hiki maikaʻi hoʻi iā ia ke hana keaka a ke hīmeni pū. Iā ia i hīmeni maila iā “How Far I’ll Go” mahope o kona aʻoaʻo ʻana mai no kō kona poʻe mauli holomoana o mua, ua pūʻiwa aʻela au me ka uē iki ʻana aʻe. ʻAʻole hiki ke ʻalo aʻe i ka leʻaleʻa ā walea ʻana mai mamuli o ia kiʻi ʻoni nei, ʻoiai naʻe ʻaʻole ʻoe he Hawaiʻi/polenesia. ʻAʻohe oʻu wahi pilikia me kō Disney koho ʻana aku iā Dwayne Johnson lāua ʻo Nicole Scherzinger no nā leo o Māui ame o kō Moana makuahine.

No ka moʻolelo, hauʻoli au i kō Moana nele ʻana i ka pulakaumaka (love interest). ʻOiai ʻoia e lana ana maloko o ke au hoʻomakua (adolescence) a ʻoiai hoʻi pū he kāne makua ʻo Māui, ʻaʻohe pono o kō lāua lilo ʻana i mau ipo kekahi i kekahi. He maʻa ʻo Disney i ka haku wale i pilialoha mawaena o nā hāmeʻe nui ʻelua o ka moʻolelo, akā eia aku eia mai ʻaʻohe waiwai o kēia no ka moʻolelo. ʻO Pocahontas kekahi laʻana maikaʻi (ʻole) o kō Disney pilikia me kēia ʻano haʻi moʻomoʻolelo: iā John Smith i hōʻea maila iā ʻAmelika, he kamaliʻi wale nō naʻe ʻo Pocahontas (he ʻumi ā keu ona makahiki), nolaila ʻaʻohe ana o lāua kauwahi pilialoha ʻoiai i lilo lāua i ʻano hoaaloha. Akā ua kuhi hewa ihola ʻo Disney e lilo ʻo Pocahontas lāua me John Smith i ipo aloha no ka hoʻomikolololehua iki ʻana aʻe i ka moʻolelo. I kuʻu wā kamaliʻi, iaʻu i nānā ai i ia kiʻi ʻoni, ua hauʻoli au i kō lāua pili, akā ʻānō ua loli ihola ka manaʻo a he hoʻonāukiuki iki kēia iaʻu. ʻO Moana, ʻaʻohe ona kēia pilikia e ukiuki ai. He kamaliʻi ʻoia e hoʻomakua ana a ʻaʻohe wahi hoʻopua ʻana mai o kona hoʻāo ʻana me kēlā, kēia poʻe ʻē aʻe, a pēlā he maikaʻi noʻu.

Ua hoihoi loa nā mele o Moana kekahi a ua aʻo maila au na Lin-Manuel Miranda, nāna i haku ʻē ai iā Hamilton, i haku pū ai i ka hapanui o nā mele (hīmeni) o Moana. I kēia ʻikepili i aʻo ʻia maila, ʻaʻole hiki ke lohe ʻole iā ia: aia ʻo Lin-Manuel maloko o kēia mele, kēlā mele ma kō lākou pana mele ame nā huaʻōlelo i waewau maiau ʻoia. E hoʻolohe wale i ke mele ʻo “You’re Welcome” ame “Shiny” a i nā paukū o “How Far Iʻll Go”: aia ʻoia maloko nō. Ua maikaʻi hoʻi nā mele Tokelau i komo ʻia ai maloko o Moana (eia kahi laʻana, a eia), na kēia mau mele i hoʻīli i wahi kohuʻiʻo iā Moana a i ke ola polenesia o Motunui. Ke ʻole i komo ʻia ai ia mau mele Tokelau, e hoʻokamani paha ana ke ʻano o Moana i ka mauli polenesia. He mau mele ʻano haole nō kā kēia mau mele, akā he nahenahe pū lākou i ka pepeiao Hawaiʻi, nolaila ua maikaʻi nō.

Ka Mauli Polenesia

Ua hoka iki ihola au i ka nalo ʻana mai o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi maloko o Moana. No kona inoa, ua kuhi hewa akula wau he kiʻi ʻoniʻoni nō ia e hoʻohana (iki paha) ana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, ma nā mele paha, ʻoia kaʻu i manaʻolana ai. Akā naʻe, ʻaʻole ka ʻōlelo e ʻōlelo a e hīmeni ai maloko o Moana ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi: he alelo no kekahi wahi aʻe o Polenesia i kapa ʻia ai ʻo Tokelau, a ʻo ia ʻōlelo ma Moana, ʻo ka ʻōlelo Tokelau nō kā ia. Iaʻu ma ka hale kiʻi ʻoniʻoni e nānā ana iā ia, i kuhi ai au ʻo ka ʻōlelo Tahiti paha aiʻole Māori nō hoʻi, ʻo ka ʻōlelo Tonga paha pū, akā ʻaʻole kā. He Tokelau nā mele ʻē āpau āu e lohe ma o Moana ala, a he nani nō kā hoʻi lākou ke lohe aku. Akā he minamina ʻaʻole au e hoʻomaopopo leʻa i ka manaʻo o lākou ala. He huaʻōlelo/inoa Hawaiʻi maoli ʻo “Moana” a ʻo “Māui” a ʻo “Heihei” akā ʻo “Tefiti,” ʻaʻole. ʻIke hemahema au i kō Disney kumu e koho i ia ʻōlelo ʻo Tokelau no ka haʻi moʻolelo ʻana o Moana, no ka mea ʻaʻole nō hoʻi nui ka helu o ka mānaleo ma ke Tokelau: ʻaʻole nō naʻe nui ka poʻe walewaha ma ka Hawaiʻi akā ʻoi aku kō kākou nui mamua o kō Tokelau mānaleo: ʻelua kaukani paha wale kō lākou nui. Akā ʻaʻohe o kēlā manaʻo nui: ua ʻoluʻolu ke Tokelau ke lohe aku ʻoiai naʻe ʻoe e mamake e lohe i ka Hawaiʻi.

Mawaho naʻe o ka ʻōlelo, ua like nō ā like ka mauli Tokelau me kō ka poʻe Hawaiʻi (mamua o ka hōʻea ʻana mai o nā Haole): ʻālike ʻālike kō kākou holomoana ʻana, kō kākou mahina a lawaiʻa, kō kākou kākoʻo ā hāliu ʻana i nā aliʻi a i nā kāhuna. He nānaina kō ke kanaka Tokelau me kō ka Hawaiʻi: he makuʻe ka ʻili, he pēpē ka ihu, he momona nā poʻe makua (eia aku eia mai). ʻO ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, ʻo Moana he huikaʻi nō ia o nā moʻolelo o ka polenesia holoʻokoʻa, ke unuhi nui ai i memea mai nā moʻomeheu ame nā mōʻaukala o Fiji, Samoa ame Tahiti mai. A na nā kaʻao no Māui i hoʻolalelale aʻela iā Disney e haku iā Moana. He laʻana, ʻo ka moʻolelo no Māui me ka Puhi (ʻo Tunaroa kona inoa) a no kō Tunaroa kanu ʻana iā Māui mai ke kumu o nā kumulāʻau niu, he moʻolelo Māori nō kēlā, ʻaʻole naʻe he Hawaiʻi (i pololei ʻole au, haʻi mai). Ua kākau ʻia kēia moʻolelo ma kēia ʻatikala o Wikipedia no Māui akā ʻaʻohe ona kūmole, a he hoʻohuoi nō hoʻi kēlā. A ma kēia mana paʻi ʻia mamua loa aku, ua kākau ʻia no Aotearoa mai kēia moʻolelo no Māui. Akā naʻe, ʻo ka mea nui o kēia mau mea āpau, he kupua ʻo Māui no Polenesia holoʻokoʻa a he mau moʻolelo ponoʻī kō nā lāhui polenesia pākahi āpau. ʻAʻole kekahi moʻolelo e kū wale i ka pono, me ke kū ʻole ʻana o nā moʻolelo ʻē aʻe i ka pono, ʻaʻole kā.

Ua nui nā manaʻo aʻe i ʻupuʻupu aʻela maloko oʻu ā ma kēia mau lā hoʻi naʻe, akā ua lawa nō kēia paha no kēia manawa. I kēia mua aku wau e unuhi paha i kekahi o nā mele o ia kiʻi ʻoni milimili oʻu.

Ua nānā paha ʻoe iā Moana?? Makemake, ʻaʻole paha? No ke aha lā? I haʻi mai! A ā hui hou aku nō!

Review of Disney’s Moana

Listen up, children of Hawaii! Kolomona Keawekāne here to share my thoughts about the animated movie Moana that Disney just released on Thanksgiving (or Lā Kū ʻOkoʻa for the Hawaiians out there). This is my very first Hawaiian language review but if there’s interest in this type of thing, I can do more in the future. So let’s get started. And be warned: spoilers!

I absolutely loved Moana! There are two aspects of Moana that I’d like to look into: first, the aesthetics of the movie, and second, it’s Polynesian/Hawaiian essence. Before anything else I want to say that this is not a Hawaiian movie, per se. Before I saw it, I thought (wrongly) that this was a movie about Polynesian life before they immigrated to Hawaiʻi. But at the heart of this film is a story about all peoples of Polynesia.

The Aesthetics of Moana

I want to start by admiring the beauty of Moana. In every little thing that you see, you’ll recognize the meticulous work of the people who worked on this project and strived for no less than greatness. It’s easy to see in the fine details of various aspects, such as Moana’s hair, the embodiment of the ocean, as well as Pua (the pig) and Heihei (the rooster)’s fur. I love how they differentiated Māui’s song “You’re Welcome” from the general style of the rest of the movie. I’m also really happy that they chose ‘Auli’i Cravalho for Moana: she can really act and sing! When she say “How Far I’ll Go” after she learned about her people’s former wayfaring spirit, I got a little emotional and cried a little. It’s impossible not to have fun and really enjoy the movie, even if you aren’t Hawaiian or Polynesian. I don’t have any qualms with Disney casting Dwayne Johnson and Nicole Scherzinger for the voices of Māui and Moana’s mother.

As far as the story goes, I’m happy that Moana has no love interest. Although she is a teenager and Māui is an adult male, there’s no need for the two to become lovers. Disney has a history of inventing romance between the two main characters of the story, and sometimes there’s absolutely no benefit to the story. A great example of Disney’s problem with this type of storytelling is Pocahontas: when John Smith arrived in Americ, Pocahontas was still just a child of 10 or so years of age, so there wouldn’t be any romantic relationship between them, although they did become friends. Yet Disney decided erroneously to make lovers of Pocahontas and John Smith to make the story more entertaining. When I was younger, when I watched this movie, I was happy to see this relationship between them, but I’ve changed my mind and it’s pretty annoying to me now. Moana, though, doesn’t have this annoying problem. She is in the process of becoming an adult but there’s no mention of her marrying anyone and that suits me fine.

The songs on Moana are really fun and interesting and I learned that Lin-Manuel Miranda who wrote Hamilton is responsible for writing much of the songs in Moana. Once you learn this, it’s hard not to hear it: Lin-Manuel is in various songs in their rhythm and in the words he carefully chose. Just listen to “Shiny” and to the verses of “How Far I’ll Go”: he’s in there. The Tokelauan songs that they included in Moana are so good, giving Moana and the Polynesian life on Motunui a sense of realism. Without these Tokelauan songs, Moana would betray somewhat the Polynesian sensibility. To be sure, these songs are rather Western, but they are pleasing to the Hawaiian ear (and heart), so they’re good.

Polynesian Essence

I was somewhat disappointed that the Hawaiian language wasn’t in Moana. Because of the name, I thought it would (if only a little) use Hawaiian, in the songs, for example. That was my hope, however, the language spoken in Moana is not Hawaiian: it’s a language from another place in Polynesia called Tokelau. The language is therefore is Tokelauan. When I was sitting in the theater watching Moana, I thought it was Tahitian or Māori, or else Tongan possibly, but that wasn’t the case. The songs you hear in Moana are Tokelauan, yet they are beautiful to listen to. But I was sad that I couldn’t understand more of their meaning. “Moana” is a Hawaiian word/name, as is “Māui” and “Heihei” — but “Tefiti” isn’t. I’m not entirely sure why Disney chose this language of Tokelauan to tell the story of Moana, since there are very few native speakers of Tokelauan: there are few enough fluent speakers of Hawaiian, and yet we are more numerous than the speakers of Tokelauan, which number perhaps two thousand. But that isn’t really important: Tokelauan is pleasant enough to listen to, even if you would prefer to hear Hawaiian.

Putting aside the language, the Tokelauan spirit is basically identical to that of Hawaiians (before the haoles came): both were equally wayfaring, both worked the land and the water for sustenance, both served the ruling and priest classes. The Tokelauan physiognomy is similar to that of a Hawaiian as well: they are brown-skinned, flat of nose, and fat (sometimes) in adulthood. In truth, Moana is a mingling of stories of all of Polynesia, largely drawing material from the cultures and histories of Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti. And it was Māui’s legends that inspired Disney to make Moana. For example, the story about Māui and the Eel named Tunaroa comes from New Zealand, not Hawaiʻi (unless I’m mistaken, in which case let me know). This story was included in the Wikipedia article about Māui but without any references, which is suspect. And in this version, printed way before, it says that this story of Māui comes from New Zealand. Still the most important thing about all this is that Māui is a demigod for all of Polynesia and each nation in Polynesia has their own stories. Not only one story is right, such that all other stories are wrong.

I’ve been thinking about a lot of other things in Moana, but that’s enough for now. Later on, I may translate some of the songs in Moana.

Did you watch Moana? Did you like it? Let me know! Until then!