Why Colours of The Wind has so much meaning

Why Colours of The Wind has so much meaning

One of my favourite Disney songs comes from the movie Pocahontas called Colours of The Wind. The song delivers great messages about “save and protect the planet” vibes. So, let’s dive into what we can learn from this song.

From the onset, the colonial invaders viewed this new world for profit incentives. Pocahontas asks John Smith, “how can there be so much that you don’t know?” This is an important question which reflects the closed-mindedness of the English settlers. In their eyes they only see this piece of land as a resource to generate more wealth through the extraction of gold. They are unaware of all the awesome attributes and values that nature provides. This closed-mindedness is what propels Pocahontas to educate John Smith on the importance of nature.

“You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature,
has a life, has a spirit, has a name.”

In these lines we notice that the land is not an inanimate object that can just be claimed and used. Organisations can buy land and use it to produce goods and services for consumers. However, in capitalist societies profit maximisation is the most important objective for organisations to attain. In Brazil, this ambition to seek profits results in increased deforestation of the Amazon forest as more land is cleared to facilitate agricultural activities. Burning the rainforests kills species of wildlife and increases carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. If we continue this path of clearing land for agriculture, there will be no forests and diverse animals left on planet earth.

Pocahontas asks other interesting questions such as, “have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Have you ever asked the grinning bobcat why he grins?’’ Personally, l have not yet seen a bobcat in real life. This actually gives me a reason to go out and venture the existing wildlife around me.

Next she sings about outdoor activities such as,

“Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they’re worth.”

Research indicates that, visiting and spending time around trees and nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and boosts our immune system. So, if we tear down the very thing that provides us with free medicine and the opportunity to improve our wellbeing, we will only be sabotaging ourselves from enjoying the beauty and pleasures nature provides. Thus, organisations should stop trying to look for ways to increase profits through overexploiting the land. Seriously, what is more valuable than life?

Then she mentions that “we are all connected to each other, in a circle, in a hoop that never ends.” This highlights that nature and humankind need each other. Trees provide us with oxygen to breathe and absorb CO2 during photosynthesis. The Amazon Basin alongside other rainforests in Asia and central Africa are like giant air conditioners that cool the planet. They make significant contributions through absorbing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. So, if we continue burning down the Amazon forest the effects of global warming would exacerbate for all forms of life on earth.

Finally, Pocahontas concludes

“You can own the Earth and still
All you’ll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colours of the wind.”

Did you notice the contrasting meanings of the two earths? The first earth refers to our living planet and the other is dirt. Organisations can continue overexploiting the earth. However, one day there will be no land left to farm and different species of flowers, plants and animals. All that will be left is the worthless dirt and what will you do with that?

Pocahontas main message is to showcase that the planet is a precious, beautiful and valuable living entity that needs protection from overexploitation from humans. We should all open our eyes and appreciate nature as it is.

References

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