The Revival of Polynesian Oratory and Disney’s Moana

A Guest Post by Chelsea McCracken

As a Disney heroine, Moana is defined by her confidence. Throughout the film, she repeats almost as a mantra, “I am Moana of Motunui. Aboard my boat I will sail across the sea and restore the heart of Te Fiti.” In the emotional climax of the film, “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)”, Moana draws on her pride in her identity and heritage as inspiration to fulfill her mission. In this recording (audio only), Moana praises her homeland, her ancestors, and herself.

[cue starts at 1:10]

Who am I?
I am a girl who loves my island
I’m the girl who loves the sea
It calls me
I am the daughter of the village chief
We are descended from voyagers
Who found their way across the world
They call me
I’ve delivered us to where we are
I have journeyed farther
I am everything I’ve learned and more
Still it calls me
And the call isn’t out there at all, it’s inside me
It’s like the tide; always falling and rising
I will carry you here in my heart you’ll remind me
That come what may
I know the way
I am Moana!

This scene brings to mind the Polynesian art of oratory, known as ‘ōrero.

The orero generally practiced three types of speech :

–       the fa’ateni, to praise the beauty of a land or a man

–       the fa’atara, to prove his superior power and technique to the listener

–       the ‘a’ai, used to narrate a legend

Prior to colonization, oratory played an extremely important role in Polynesian society. It was practiced on ceremonial occasions and was usually reserved for elites and in particular, men. 

At heart, each Polynesian had to be his own ‘ōrero. It was for him a guarantee, a way to survive. A means of asserting his identity, his uniqueness, his belonging to a clan, a tribe, a land.

Traditional oratory was nearly wiped out by colonization, one aspect of which was the colonial suppression of Polynesian languages. (As late as 2010, a European court ruled that French Polynesian assemblywoman Sabrina Birk-Levy could not speak her native language before Parliament.) In recent years, French Polynesian schoolteachers have created an innovative program as part of the Polynesian cultural revitalization project: all Polynesian children, boys and girls, are trained in ‘ōrero in school. The teachers view it as a way to inspire their students with confidence in their heritage and themselves.

Each year, children from all over Polynesia compete in a televised oratory competition called Orero. Watching these kids perform is electrifying—they are not cute; they are powerful. The following video shows a 2016 Orero performance of fa’ateni by 10-year-old Tuarikirau Teixeira from the island of Taiarapu-Est where, like Moana, she praises her homeland, her ancestors, and herself.

The video provides French subtitles for Tuarikirau’s performance in the Tahitian language; an English translation is shown below.

[cue starts at 1:23]

I am descended from the family Kekela
Originating from Hawaii
A land illuminated by the star Hōkule’a
A land warmed by the goddess Pele
I grew up in Hiupe, sacred land of Taravao

[instrumental intermission 1:52 to 2:20]

I will pay homage to our land
Afa’ahiti on Taiarapu
May Afa’ahiti endure!
Who is the sprout who grows in this neglected valley?
This forgotten valley
Of a little wandering child?
Who is it? Who is it?
It is I! I! Yes I, Tuarikirau TEIXEIRA!
I am that little child
The sprout that grows up tall, in the desire
to resuscitate the memory of my land
Afa’ahiti on Taiarapu!

Samoan musician Opetaia Foa’i was a major collaborator on the music of Moana; he wrote the song “We Know the Way” (a musical celebration of the incredible accomplishments of the Austronesian people) and contributed chant accompaniments and deep knowledge about the culture of Oceania. In one interview, he says, “Put it this way: my ancestors would be happy with this movie.”

I can’t help but wonder if Moana’s powerful statement of confidence in her identity and ability was at least in part inspired by the modern oratorical performances of Polynesia’s children.

Chelsea McCracken holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from Rice University and is the author of A Grammar of Belep, a linguistic description of a language spoken on the Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia, forthcoming from the Mouton Grammar Library.