Maui, Hawaiian Super Man
Maui: Hawaiian Superman Now students are all excited about the Disney movie “Moana.” Moana means ocean in the Hawaiian language. I do not think there was ever a girl named Moana, not in historical times, nor in legends. The Disney depiction of the character of Maui, a demi-god of the Pacific Islanders, is one I would have never recognized, after years of hearing stories about Maui from Pacific Islander storytellers, mainly Hawaiian and Tongan. I have taught this story for years, and my students have enjoyed it greatly. We have to build a great deal of background knowledge. Most of the students I have told this to have been Native Alaskans in rural areas. Most of them had never seen the Pacific Ocean. Building Background Knowledge I start asking the students where the Hawaiian Islands are. Alaska has coast on the Pacific Ocean, so we have that starting point. However, there is a great temperature difference between the North Pacific and the middle ...


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