What is the main message of the Whale Rider?
Despite its focus on Maori culture, the themes in Whale Rider are universal and highlight important communication principles. We see the power of significant others to affect our self esteem, and the fact that, against strong odds, it is possible to assert ourselves and create an identity of our own.
Why is Paikea important in Whale Rider?
Paikea has an intrinsic connection with right whales, an important symbol for her tribe. She stands up for what she believes even in the face of the adults around her, and isn’t afraid to take risks to do what’s right.
What is Paikea whale?
Paikea is the name assumed by Kahutia-te-rangi because he was assisted by a whale to survive an attempt on his life by his half-brother Ruatapu. On the island of Aitutaki, he is also known as a brother of Ruatapu, but is not as famous as him.
What is the Whale Rider story about?
Only males are allowed to ascend to chiefdom in a Maori tribe in New Zealand. This ancient custom is upset when the child selected to be the next chief dies at birth. However his twin sister, Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), survives. At age 12, she enlists the help of her grandmother (Vicky Haughton) and the training of her uncle (Grant Roa) to claim her birthright. But to break with convention, she’ll have to do the impossible: win over her ultra-traditional grandfather (Rawiri Paratene).Whale Rider / Film synopsis
What is the main conflict in the Whale Rider?
The main conflicts of the film are between Pai and her grandfather, as well as Koro and Porourangi when the man refuses to become the chief and leaves. The first conflict is only resolved when the Koro sees the evidence that the girl is ready to become the leader when she manages to return the whale into the sea.
What is the problem in Whale Rider?
Niki Caro’s ‘Whale Rider’ presents the conflict between the older and younger generations, man and woman, past and present, localism and foreignness, tradition and change – in other words, all the very stuff of myth.
What did Paikea do?
According to legend, Paikea came to New Zealand from the Pacific Islands on the back of a whale many centuries ago. When far out to sea Paikea foiled their plan by deliberately sinking the canoe and drowning his brothers. Now adrift in a great ocean, Paikea clung to a canoe plank and awaited his own death.
What does Paikea mean in Maori?
Paikea. According to Māori tradition, Paikea is an ancestor of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Porou, Māori tribes in the South Island and east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Paikea is the name assumed by Kahutia-te-rangi because he was assisted by humpback whales to survive an attempt on his life by his half-brother Ruatapu …
Why is Paikea important to the Maori people?
Paikea was an important ancestor of the Māori tribes in Uawa (Tolaga Bay) on the East Coast of the North Island of Aotearoa (New Zealand). After several excursions to the south-east, Paikea eventually made his way to the mouth of the Waiapu River on the East Coast, married Huturangi, and settled at Whangara.
Is Paikea in Whale Rider a hero?
Paikea’s journey as a hero began because originally, she was born as a twin. Her twin was meant to become the next chief of the tribe, but he died at birth and took her mother with him.
What does the name Paikea mean?
How old is Paikea in Whale Rider?
11-year-old
Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.
How old is Paikea from Whale Rider?
This hero is an unlikely one, a small girl, from a small tribe, in a small village in New Zealand. Paikea is a small girl that is 13 years old, and is a direct descendant of Paikea, the original whale rider. On her journey to become the leader of the tribe, she comes across numerous amounts of challenges from her grandfather, Koro.
What is the main idea of Whale Rider?
Whale Rider is the story of a young girl, Paikea, who has found her destiny following in the footsteps of her ancestors to be the chief of the tribe; these chiefs have always been men, and Paikea is put to the test to see if she is able to fulfill this position.
Who is Paikea?
Most heroes are big strong men, or mythical creatures that have thousands of stories and tales written about them. This hero is an unlikely one, a small girl, from a small tribe, in a small village in New Zealand. Paikea is a small girl that is 13 years old, and is a direct descendant of Paikea, the original whale rider.
How did Paikea come from the back of a whale?
The legend that the whale saved their ancestor Paikea started when the whale rescued him from the waters, which lead future generations to believe that their ancestors came from the back of a whale. Paikea’s new story as a female will be she did the opposite; to save the dying whales, she rode on the back of the whales into the waters.