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 heardDisney 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.
Most of all, I'm looking forward to seeing my young nieces and cousins growing up knowing not just the blue-eyed and blonde kind of princess - but the one they see every day in the mirror.
