‘Moana’ items prompt outcry

Disney is pulling from sale some children’s items tied to its upcoming release “Moana” amid controversy over whether they are examples of cultural misappropriation and insensitivity toward Pacific Islanders.

In the film, set thousands of years ago, a girl named Moana (voiced by Hawaiianborn newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) wants to learn to be an ocean navigator and is aided by the demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson). In the film’s official description, “Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.”

The costume garnering the most attention depicted Johnson’s character of Maui and featured brown-colored shirt and pants replicating the character’s tattooed skin. A number of protesters declared on Twitter, “culture is not a costume.”

“The team behind ‘Moana’ has taken great care to respect the cultures of the Pacific Islands that inspired the film, and we regret that the Maui costume has offended some,” Disney said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “We sincerely apologize and are pulling the costume from our website and stores.”

The cultural issues around the film and its depiction of Pacific Island culture have obviously been on the minds of the filmmaking team throughout the process. At last year’s Disney-sponsored D-23 fan convention, Johnson noted that he is half-Samoan when he added, “This is my heritage.”