[Frozen 2 spoilers] Sitting in the theatre on opening night and hearing hundreds of young children cheer on the destruction of a major infrastructural project as a symbol of colonial domination was really electric. But I've been thinking of its decolonization plotline ever since.

[Frozen 2 spoilers] It seems like an earnest attempt, with meaningful consultation, to tell a story about coming to terms with your people's history of colonial violence and taking personal risks to make things right. And I was really surprised to see that. But...

[Frozen 2 spoilers] There are two things I wish had been handled differently. First, I wish Northuldra characters had taken decisive actions in the story of how the colonial stranglehold was reversed. Arendelle soldiers got to help in the symbolic victory; Northuldra didn't.

[Frozen 2 spoilers] I mean, I wish the Northuldra who had lived on that land since time immemorial had taken concrete actions to save the day. I know both Elsa and Anna are revealed to have Northuldra ancestry as well, and I don't mean to discount the significance of that.

[Frozen 2 spoilers] The other thing I wish had been different: I wish Arendelle really had been damaged by the huge deluge of water from the dam collapsing. I get why they wouldn't! But we were told Anna's actions would have consequences, and that's what made her choice powerful!

[Frozen 2 spoilers] That's the scene I most wish had been different. I wish Elsa had managed to minimize the damage to Arendelle but not entirely avert the crisis. We were told atonement had a cost.

I wish the movie had ended with Northuldra and Arendelle alike rebuilding.

[Frozen 2 spoilers] Still: I was surprised by how seriously they took questions of colonial violence and healing the land! It seemed overall good!

But as a white settler, my opinion isn't the crucial one. I'm excited to read more Sami & other indigenous reflections on the topic.