Until recently, whenever the term "princess" was bandied around, I'd think of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel from The Little Mermaid and maybe even Kate Middleton. I would think of blonde or brown-haired beauties with light skin and blue eyes. That was my picture of a princess.
So when I heard Disney was releasing a film about a Polynesian princess, I was excited. An image came to mind of a brown, wavy-haired girl with big beautiful eyes.
The new Disney princess is the only daughter of a high chief and loves the ocean. Even better, she has my name!
I can't help but feel happy that such a huge company has looked towards Pasifika and Maori folklore for inspiration. But like many, I hope Moana mirrors the Pasifika that I have known all my life; one that puts ancient legends, ancestry and folklore on a pedestal.
I hope those who do not know this part of the world see this film and want to visit it and shake hands with its people.
