“ We Know the Way ”: Culture – Nature Relationship and Kuleana in Disney ’ s Moana
Moana justly represents the culture – nature relationship . As we see , the people of Motunui once were voyagers who used the stars to navigate and explore from one island to another , tending to these new lands , yet when they stop this practice , their environment slowly dissipates ; the land no longer provides for them because they no longer tend to the land . Thus , it was Moana ’ s calling to rebuild this severed relationship by returning the heart of Te Fiti . We see this struggle of sustaining culture and environments across the Pacific Islands . For example , in Hawai ’ i , recent attempts to build a telescope on top of the mountain Mauna Kea or Mauna O ’ Wakea have sparked Native Hawaiians to protest against construction on that sacred ground ( Brown 151 ).
KULEANA
In addition to displaying a culture – nature relationship , Moana showcases the inherent role of kuleana , or responsibility , to continuing the beliefs , traditions , and legacy of Pacific Island culture . For Hawaiians , kuleana is extremely important ( Wright 21 ). According to Pukui and Elbert , kuleana means “ right , privilege , concern , responsibility ” ( 179 ). In traditional society , kuleana referred to a plot of land an individual person or family was charged with maintaining and caring for ( Kame ’ eleihiwa 34 ). So , this idea of responsibility is culturally grounded within Oceanic tradition . Moana displays different levels in which kuleana is classified : to the self , to family , and to community .
Understanding one ’ s own purpose helps to illuminate personal responsibilities toward the Polynesian culture . Understanding one ’ s own role , not just physically , but also spiritually , is kuleana to the self . In finding one ’ s self , understanding and connection to the land and the people is realized , as well as one ’ s responsibility to them . It is the individual ’ s responsi-
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