Treeeswayer

Mana Magazine, February 6, 2014

Hi anon! 

Mmm, I would agree with you to a certain degree. While I think the concept of Moana is nice, I don’t necessarily agree with it, nor do I think it’s a good idea. Here are some concerns that I (and others) have had with this film: 

First off, the creators themselves (according to imdb) “In the October 20, 2014 interview with Huffington Post, director Ron Clements recalls the experience of visiting the islands of the South Pacific to gain artistic and authentic references for the film” which you know, would be cool, except for one thing: not all of the South Pacific believed/believe in Maui. From my understanding, and readings I’ve done, Maui was Polynesian-centric. So why are they crediting the South Pacific as a whole? To homogenize Polynesia (and the South Pacific) as the same is disrespectful. We may have similarities, but we are not the same. 

Secondly, they’ve NEVER specified where Moana comes from. I’ve seen people say she’s supposed to be from Aoeteroa, she’s supposed to Maori. But I’ve never seen it confirmed that she is in fact Maori. So ????? all the it says is that she comes from a chief and family of navigators. Which ???? why does that make her Polynesian? 

Thirdly, from the photos I’ve seen, Moana’s dad Tui has a pe’a. Which that specific tattoo comes from Samoa, and yet Moana’s outfit isn’t anything I’ve seen in indigenous Samoan photography? Her “skirt” or whatever the hell it is she’s wearing could almost be mistaken for Tongan.. But idk, it doesn’t look right to me. 

Fourthly: wtf are these tattoos? that doesn’t look tribal at all. it looks like they threw together a bunch of designs that they thought were tribal on a brown animation and called it Polynesian. how fuckin disrespectful? 

and lastly, I’ll keep saying and saying it until I die: but Polynesia is not the only thing that comes from the South Pacific. South Pacific cultures are not just one big culture. We aren’t just one big tribe called Polynesia. We are all different islands with different cultures and different gods and goddesses. I’m fuckin sick and tired of white people taking our shit and not acknowledging the shit that they’ve done to us. 

Kaiko’o ka moana kā i lana nei Hawai'i

The sea of Hawai'i surges in turmoil

Nāueue a hālulu ka honua a Haumea

The earth of Haumea rumbles and shakes

Nākulukulu e ka lani ki’eki’e kau mai i luna

The highest of heavens shudder up above

Auē ke aloha ‘ole a ka malihini

To The Hawaiians

You found Hawaii because of the stars…you claim Hawaii as your ancestral home because the stars led you there.

You claim the mountain Mauna a Wākea is sacred to you. Then you must know that All mountains are sacred, as All places are sacred. Earth is sacred.

Emery Allen (via wordsnquotes)

"I want to be very open and very honest about how the decision of the Third Circuit Court effected me. I felt deeply frustrated, beyond furious and completely exhausted. I cried my eyes out, the kind of cry that is from the deepest part of the soul. I wanted to scream, I wanted to stay angry. I was so fed up with the fact that this government system is set up for us to lose. Even when we have all of the facts, all of the points, all of the iʻs dotted and all of the tʻs crossed, we still lose- because money has become more powerful then justice. I chose to let myself feel every part of that emotion, to breathe it in and let it settle. In that moment, I wasnʻt going to try and make some kind of profound response, I wasnʻt going to try to force myself to ignore the hurt, I was just going to feel it. I was in Hilo when I found out and had to make the drive through saddle road to get to Kona for work. While I was driving I just cried and cried. My tears turned from tears of anger, to tears of sadness, to tears of release. When I reached Puʻu Huluhulu I got out of my car and chanted with every part of my being to the Mauna. In that moment, I decided to step out of that anger and share the best vibration I possibly could with our mountain. I realized how important it is to allow myself to feel every single part of this journey and take that experience and shift it into something that will be in the highest good for my own body and spirit, for the health of my family and for the integrity of this process. So Iʻve shifted that anger into passion again and now I am ready. I am ready to continue alongside all of you. Kū Kiaʻi Mauna!"

On Thursday, April 2, 2015, at approximately 08:00 Hawaiʻi Time, 31 peaceful protestors were detained by Hawaiʻi County Police and the Department of Land and Natural Resources on Mauna Kea.

-On “Hapa” And Cultural Appropriation

(via

kakaimeitahi

)

The same can be said with the label Hawaiian at heart. 

The assumption that simply because one has knowledge of hawaiian culture and practices ‘native hawaiian traditions’ disregards the colonial history undergone by generations of kanaka oiwi. 

I am so over people thinking that Leis look like this: 

A lei takes hard time and vigorous work. We (Hawaiians) wake up at the crack of dawn to gather whats needed to make the lei that we want. It can take hours or days to make the leis and Hawaiian’s make leis with only good intentions and love because they believe that if you make a lei with malicious intent it will come out into the lei. There is many different ways to make leis and we also make leis from shells and feathers. It isn’t only Hawai’i that makes leis but throughout Polynesia fellow Polynesians make leis in their own style.