Auliʻi Cravalho Highlights Native Voices at UN Ocean Summit

At the 2025 United Nations Ocean Summit in Nice, Hawaiian actress Auliʻi Cravalho used her platform to call attention to the vital role that native and indigenous communities play in ocean conservation. Speaking on a packed conference stage, the 23-year-old star of Disney’s Moana urged delegates and change-makers not to let the momentum die.

Raising Native Voices On A Global Stage

Cravalho’s address leaned on storytelling as a tool for impact. “There is power in storytelling even in the ocean conservation space,” she wrote in an Instagram post. She praised The Nature Conservancy’s workshop at UNOC 2025 for creating “a powerful space for emotional impact.” By centering local perspectives—from Hawaiian fishers to Palauan reef stewards—Cravalho argued that conservation efforts gain authenticity and effectiveness.

From Hawai‘i To Palau: A Global Call

In her social-media caption, Cravalho spelled out the geographical sweep of voices she hopes to amplify: “From Hawaiʻi to France, from Kenya to Palau and everywhere in between, there is power in storytelling.” She reminded attendees that healthy oceans sustain economies, food security and, importantly, cultural heritage. The star spotlighted young delegates she met throughout the conference, praising their “unwavering commitment to change” and asserting that their energy raises both the bar and global hopes.

A Young Changemaker’s Journey

Born and raised on Hawaii’s Big Island, Cravalho first captured hearts as the voice of Moana in 2016. Since then, she’s balanced acting and singing projects—like her Netflix drama All Together Now—with advocacy rooted in her island upbringing. A graduate of Mililani High School, she has long spoken about the ocean’s spiritual significance in Hawaiian culture, drawing on personal experiences of shoreline clean-ups and reef snorkeling with family.

Beyond her film work, Cravalho leverages Instagram to share snapshots of island life, often tagging organizations such as @nature_org to spotlight conservation initiatives. In Nice, she wore a lei gifted by indigenous delegates and paused mid-speech to honor local traditions with a Hawaiian “hoʻomaikaʻi” blessing. Her blend of celebrity savvy and grassroots respect earned applause across the plenary.

The summit itself brought together over 5,000 participants to discuss marine plastic pollution, sustainable fisheries, and ocean acidification. Key sessions featured heads of state, marine scientists, youth ambassadors and private-sector leaders. Cravalho’s intervention underscored one of the UN’s key takeaways: that indigenous knowledge and language preservation are indispensable in crafting durable ocean-health policies.

While stars often attend high-profile events, Cravalho’s appearance—rooted in her lived experience—resonated differently. She reminded attendees that the Pacific Islands face rising sea levels and coral bleaching at disproportionate rates. “We need to keep. the conversation. GOING,” she insisted, breaking her own message into emphatic, energizing fragments that played out on screens around the venue.

Her call to action has already inspired a social-media ripple: under the hashtag #UNOC2025, community leaders and ocean advocates have shared their own stories of coastal stewardship, from Kenyan mangrove restorations to Palauan oyster farming. Cravalho’s post has drawn more than 120,000 likes, and The Nature Conservancy reported a spike in young volunteers signing up for local beach-clean initiatives.

For Cravalho, the summit was not a one-off appearance but a chapter in an evolving commitment. In recent months, she’s joined panels on mental-health impacts of climate anxiety and penned op-eds on the role of art in environmental justice. As she steps back off the podium and into community forums, her message remains consistent: elevate the voices that live and breathe ocean life.

Her closing words in Nice captured that ethos: “By amplifying local, native, and/or indigenous voices, we learn just how critical ocean health is to our livelihoods, economies, and most importantly our spirits.” It’s a reminder that the future of our seas—and of our shared planet—depends on listening as much as speaking, and on ensuring that every coastal community has a seat at the table.

Trivia

Auliʻi Cravalho was a featured voice in the animated film 'Raya and the Last Dragon' as the character Sisu.

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Ratika Pai

 

Ratika holds a master's degree in commerce and a post-graduate diploma in communication and journalism from Mumbai University. She has 6 years of experience writing in various fields, such as finance, education, and lifestyle.

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