Performed by: Cravalho, Mahina, O. Foa'i, Op. Foa'i & Ineleo
Composed by: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i
Moana

“(Ou mata e matagi)
I have crossed the horizon to find you
(Ou loto mamaina toa)
I know your name
(Manatu atu)
They have stolen the heart from inside you
(Taku pelepele)
But this does not define you
(Manatu atu)
This is not who you are
You know who you are”

— Know Who You Are Lyrics

(Your eyes so full of wonder)
I have crossed the horizon to find you
(Your heart an innocent warrior)
I know your name
(There’s a task for you)
They have stolen the heart from inside you
(My dearest one)
But this does not define you
(There's a task for you)
This is not who you are
You know who you are

English Translation of Know Who You Are

In the whirlwind of Moana, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the shift in female narrative taken by Disney - female empowerment. The excitement is easy to understand, when examined in the context of past Disney Princesses. They started out with the hapless female with no agency (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty) to those who could make their own decisions, but still needed the prince to complete them (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan). Yet, this isn’t Disney’s first foray into the strong, independent, female character trope - tracing Meg in Hercules (canon or not is still largely debated in the Disney Princess community), Mulan herself, Jane in Tarzan (another largely debated point) to recent animated films like Tiana from Princess and the Frog, Rapunzel from Tangled and, who can forget, Elsa and Anna in Frozen. Moana, herself, is part of the recent Disney female characters who display bravery, strength and independence.

We are first introduced to Moana, a young woman with a fascination with the sea, and, her dying tribe who fears the sea. Being the daughter of the chieftain, she was being inculcated to be the next-in-line to lead her people. We can discuss how Disney has attempted to keep in line with the histories of Polynesian people (specifically Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii) who had powerful female leaders and chiefs in their community. We can also berate them for how their creative license with Polynesian histories and cultures is a continuation of whitewashing. However, this isn’t what this essay is about. With its hit single How Far I’ll Go blasted almost everywhere on the release of the film, the overt message of female empowerment is much more easily accessible. Its overarching lesson – how does a female attain empowerment in our world where women are often subjected to macro- and micro-violences constantly – is forgotten and overlooked. Yet, the elements are all present at every turn of the film.

This message sent to abuse survivors is wrapped up with the framing of a children’s movie and allows it to be easily overlooked. In the aftermath of Moana, countless survivors (here, have one on me) have penned their thoughts on how the film subtly talks about sexual assault. Philosophy professor, Danielle Layne, from Gonzaga University, even conducted a “controversial” talk about how the film extended the metaphor of sexual assault, which resulted in one Conservative responding rather disparagingly. Teen Vogue also wrote about such Disney films may help perpetuate Rape Culture in young minds. So yes, another Disney film that has people chomping on popcorn. But I digress - how has Moana taught young female minds to attain their own empowerment?

The film begins with the children being told about the horrific rape of Te Fiti by Maui. It is easy to only view the story from Maui’s perspective - the demigod, constantly mocked by his worshippers, who was only trying to gain their love. We are told by Tala, Moana’s grandmother, how Maui stole the Heart of Te Fiti, who disintegrates and disappears, and is then attacked by Te Kā, a destructive demon who also seeks the Heart of Te Fiti. But when viewed from Te Fiti’s perspective, she has had something precious stolen from her - and it is this what grounds the entire story, more than the discovery of one’s own identity.

Let’s start with Tala. Tala’s appearance in the entire film was brief, with her passing away after 30 minutes into the film. With Tala, we can see visibly Disney’s move towards more realistic body imaging for impressionable young children. The realistic sagging of Tala’s aged body stands in stark contrast to Disney’s previous female empowerment animated film, Frozen. Tala greets us with a wisdom born from a life of rich experiences, despite being dismissed as a senile, old lady, out-of-touch with times in her society. We see it from the start, when her own son, the chieftain, dismisses her story of Te Fiti, telling the children there are no such things as monsters. Yet, she embraces it, and through her embracement of herself, we are gently coaxed into examining our dreams and desires.

As Moana struggles between her desire to explore the seas, and, her responsibilities to her people, Tala teaches her about their heritage as seafarers, encouraging Moana to go if that was her desire. This is the first instance of how Moana steps towards female empowerment. It isn’t a grand revelation that came after a period of internal reflection or a spontaneous lightbulb moment. It is through the gentle prodding of an older female, who enables it through the gift of words and the sharing of their history, of which, Moana had no access to prior. It is also through the visible ways of Tala’s acceptance of her own “eccentricities”, with little care for what their society thinks, that encourages Moana to examine her own judgement of her worth, based upon the standards society has placed on her.

We see this again when Moana, abandoned by Maui midway through her journey, becomes terrified. Tala, who passed on prior to Moana’s journey, visits her in the form of the Manta Rays that she loved. In the scene, Tala doesn’t hold Moana accountable for wanting to abandon her mission. Rather, she apologises for imposing her wishes on Moana and informs Moana, regardless of her decision, Tala would stand with her.

For those who have continuously had their agency removed, these small gestures that Tala had huge impacts. Through Tala, Moana was assured that there was no right or wrong decision. Instead, whatever decisions Moana arrived at, would be the best possible decision she could make with her abilities and environment. Moana was reminded that she did not have to singlehandedly bear responsibility of the survival of her people. She needed only to be responsible for herself and her own well-being. Thanks to Tala’s belief in Moana, we see Moana continuing on her journey to return Te Fiti’s heart to her, empowered with the knowledge that she could always change her mind with Tala’s support.

This empowerment is intangible and often neglected. Abuse victims often feel as though they have no option, but to do as their abusers demands, so as to reduce or stop the abuse from occurring. The knowledge that they have a choice, are able to make that decision and have the decision respected without condescension is both liberating and relieving. It shifts the dynamics of the person from a victim to a survivor, which helps a person to take control of their narrative, instead of allowing their narrative to control them. Through the process of taking control of their own narratives, people often would undergo a rediscovery of their own identities. It is in this allowance, Moana shows one way how women achieve empowerment.

Another underrated, female character in the film is Sina, Moana’s mother. In the entire film, Sina only has a total of ten lines – two of which are just her going “Moana!”. Yet, despite her lack of lines, she has one of the more powerful scenes in the entire film, done in 16 seconds:

While Sina’s encouragement and acceptance of Moana’s decision is not as emphatic as Tala’s, it is a beautiful portrayal of a different mode of feminine support. Sina was afraid for her daughter and the path she had chosen, yet had aided her in her packing and blessed her daughter’s departure with a hug. There was no attempt to negotiate or to change Moana’s mind.

Sina’s acceptance of Moana’s decision leans towards the gesture of comfort. In the context of some abusive relationships, abuse victims often remain in these toxic environments because of how abusers isolate them from others. For victims to extricate themselves from such environments, it can often be dangerous, and would require a lot of support from friends and family. This extrication may also take over extended periods of time, with negative patterns of behaviours from the victim being repeated.

The non-judgemental, acceptance of Moana’s decision, despite Sina’s own misgivings, allowed for trust to build between both women. This assured Moana of a safe space to land, should she need one. Had Sina issued an ultimatum instead (e.g. “If you leave, don’t ever dare to return.”), it would have only serve to push Moana away and further isolate herself. Often times, people in toxic environments may not be aware of their own precarity. Simply by being present, and, allowing them to grow and recognise their own bad situation in their own time, would increase the likelihood of enabling them to ask for support when needed (but please do have care for your own mental safety nets).

So why is Te Kā important and why did I make a pun in the title of this essay with a lesser-known song from the film? Let’s recap Moana’s journey: confused teen, embarks on life-threatening journey to find a demigod (who was an entitled, privileged ass), eventually learns that she had Te Fiti’s heart all along and understands that she is a strong, independent woman, goes to return the heart only to find Te Fiti missing (screenshot for your viewing pleasure).

Bonus points if you notice the fetal-like imprint where Te Fiti was supposed to be.

Te Kā’s story isn’t there to juxtapose Moana’s story. But, rather like Tala, it is there to show the multiplicities a woman can be, shaped by their own individual experiences and perception. There isn’t a contrast because this isn’t a competition of who was the better woman. This is a story of what healthy female dynamics are - the receiving and giving of support and empowerment to each other. Because when Moana arrives to discover Te Fiti missing, she realises that Te Fiti didn’t disappear. Te Fiti had been scarred and traumatised by her assault and had transformed into a violent, angry creature bent on destruction. Yet, beneath all the anger and violence, we see her anguish upon seeing what had been stolen from her in Moana’s hands.

Split second anguish before the return to anger

As Moana reminds her as we see the best female power walk of 2016:

“They have stolen the heart from inside you (My dearest one)
But this does not define you (There’s a task for you)
This is not who you are
You know who you are”

— Moana in Know Who You Are

As Moana returns Te Fiti’s heart to her, we see her transformation from Te Kā back to Te Fiti. Therein, lies the most succinct point of the movie - from Tala, dismissed as the village crazy lady, Sina, who fit in her society but made space for those who didn’t, Moana, falling short of society’s expectations of her, to Te Kā, decried as a monster. And it took an entire community of women to remind each other of their own worth. This support and sharing of strength not only travels one way. In the film’s epilogue, we see Moana showing Sina how to tie knots on the boat, ensuring that the wisdom of each women would continue to guide each other. That’s how we’ll figure out who we are.

Special thanks to:
Phoebe Pua
Vikas Kailankaje

Additional readings (why??):

Arieta Rika. 2016. “How Did Disney Get Moana so Right and Maui so Wrong?” BBC News, September 21, 2016.
Kokoli, Alexandra M. 2017. “1 The Uncanny Feminine: The Uncanny Feminist.” In The Feminist Uncanny in Theory and Art Practice. London: Bloomsbury Academic, An Imprint Of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Kolk, Bessel van der. 2015. “Chapter 8 Trapped in Relationships: The Cost of Abuse and Neglect.” In The Body Keeps the Score : Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York, New York: Penguin Books.
Lewis Herman, Judith. 2015. “Chapter 8: Safety.” In Trauma and Recovery : Aftermath of Violence from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror. New York: Basicbooks.
Tadiar, Neferti. 2011. “Chapter Two: Women Alone.” In Things Fall Away: Philippine Historical Experience and the Makings of Globalization. Duke University Press.
Stanley, Jessica. 2020. “Trauma and the Restorative Power of the Feminine in Frozen and Moana Amanda Firestone. Resist and Persist . McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.” In RESIST AND PERSIST : Essays on Social Revolution in 21st Century Narratives. Kindle Edition, edited by Amanda Firestone and Leisa Clark, 2472–2684. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.

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