Whale Rider #4

    

In my humanites class I recently watched a movie called Whale Rider. It was a story of the Maori people in New Zealand and the anceint traditions and customs that they still practice today. In their small tribe they were ready for new leader and when the child selected to become the next chief dies after birth his twin sister, Pai survived. Though only males are allowed to become chiefs. Throughout the movie Pai tries to break the customs while trying to win over her very traditional grandfather.

Throughout the movie we see Koro, Pai's grandfather very determined to find the next chief. He opens up the Marae, a traditonal meeting place where they teach the children about their culture. He does this to try and find the next chief. Pai wants to partake in this but Koro makes it very clear that only males are allowed to learn about being a chief and combat.He puts them through different tests but he is still not convinced there is a leader in this bunch. As he is showing the boys this Pai ask for help from her uncle because he also learned about becoming a chief and teaches Pai. Koro puts them through a final test to see who will become the next chief. He throws the tooth of a whale that only a chief can where into the deep ocean and the boys have to go and find it, grab it and bring it back up to the boat. None of the boys were successful in finding the tooth. This left Koro in a depressed state. Pai and her uncle then go to retieve the tooth. Pai unkowing that this was the final test then goes down to retieve it. She was successful.Pais' uncle astonshied knew what this meant. 

The Maori myth that was the most prevalent in Whale Rider was abou the main characters ancestor Paikea.

Paikea was chief of the Maori long ago when the Maori were still in their homeland of Hawaiiki. The people their heard a land crying for help and sent Paikea. Paikea then was lost at sea trying to find the land and called for help to the gods. As he was on the verge of giving up he asked the gods once more for strength to make it out alive.The gods answered his chants and called forth a whale that he was able to ride back ashore.

We see the symblism of the myth in the movie when a group of sick whales washed ashore the beach.The whole town went out to the shore to help and care for the sick whales.Pai's grandfather was distraught by the sick whales because he thinks it a punishment from the gods because they failed to find a new chief.As the people grew tired and they all knew they did what they could to try and save all the whales they just weren't getting any better. Pai still with hope stayed behind and was able to get one of the whales moving again, she got on top of it. The whale then was able to start swimming back and Pai still wanting to gain the approval of Koro, Pai stays with the whale and rides it, believing it was taking her back to the Maori homeland. As people noticed Pai's absence they see a whale missing and see pai in the middle of the ocean.They all rushed in to help her but the whale went deep into the water. As they think all hope is lost Pai's grnadmother then shoes the tooth of the whale to Koro and asks who retrieved it.As she told him he broke into tears. A rescue tean finds Pai and rushes her to the hospital.She makes a full recovery and becomes the new chief breaking customs but reforming them to fit into todays society as it is far different then what there ancestors was.