The Whale Rider and World Religions
Added 9/6/2010
The Whale Rider is a film that is about the Maori's cultures and traditions and about how the Maori people are trying to fit into the modern world that exists today. Pai is the young girl and she is faced with many challenges in this movie. She is a wonderful girl who has a great personality but she is hated by the males that surround her because there was an accident and her male twin died but she lived. According to culture the first born will become chief if he is male. Pai feels like she has let down her tribe because she survived the accident and because she is female. She believes that everyone would love her if she was male. Also that everyone wishes that she would have died instead of her male twin. Drama plagues the young girl when her grandpa is being very difficult when her twin brother dies and he treats the girl very harshly as if saying that he wished she would have passed away and her brother would had lived so that he could be chief and pass on the family name and make the grandpa and the whole other family proud by making things better for the life of the tribe's people. The Maori people believe that their ancestors have lived on the land that they now live on for over a thousand years. Pai is a girl who is filled with happiness and glows. Everyone around loves her for her upbeatness. Everyone except her grandfather who shows her no mind because he is too busy being depressed because Pai's twin who was a male and who was suppose to be the chief had died when he was born. The males around Pai have made her feel so bad because she lived and her male twin died. Overall this is a great movie for people of all ages. It encourages young females to never give up and to always chase their dreams.
This movie relates to world religions because this tribe in the movie relates to indigenous people and the native people. They are a tribe that inhabits the very same land that they believe their ancestors once lived on. Their culture and traditions were passed on from their ancestors and they still live this way of life even though they are faced with the common issues that modern day society throws at them.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Paikea struggle in a men's world
Added 9/4/2010
Whale Rider is a great movie, well worth watching, it takes you in a magnificent journey with Paikea, a young Maori girl, as she learn the Maori traditional sacred way to become the next clan leader, a role reserved for men.
Paikea is the descendant of the Whale Rider, in their tribe the chief's first born son becomes the next leader, sadly Paikea twin brother, died during his birth. She now try to become the next tribe leader, a traditionally men role within their tribe, her grand-father (Rawiri Paratene), Koro who's currently the tribe leader, and who lives by the ancient ways does not agree. Koro then decide to open a cultural school in order to form the next tribe leader, and asks all the first born sons of the tribe to attend those lessons and forbid Paikea to participate. Hemi (Mana Taumaunu), a boy sympathetic toward Paikea and the most likely candidate to become next tribe leader, is caught teaching Paikea how to use the Taiaha, at this moment Koro starts to think that Paikea might be the reason for the tribe misfortune. Aware of Koro refusal to teach Paikea the old ways her grand-mother (Vicky Haughton) takes upon Paikea's learning of the old ways. Paikea then ask her uncle Riwiki (Grant Roa) to teach her how to perform the Haka, and how to use the Taiaha, a sacred weapon in the Maori culture. Paikea sneaks into the school to learn the sacred chants taught to the boys by Koro, chants that he will use later to call upon the Whale spirit to help his tribe. Seeing no answer from the spirits Paikea then use the chants to call upon the spirits herself. Getting ready to attend Paikea's school play Koro finds many whales on the beach, he is then convince that Paikea is the reason for the tribe misfortune. Seeing Paikea riding the biggest whale back to the ocean Koro then realize his mistake and acknowledge Paikea as the next tribe leader.
This movie contains many sacred ways from the Maori people that can also be found in many other indigenous cultures around the world. Such as the animal spirit who is often used as a guide is present in this movie as the whale, the initiation that the young boys must go through to become the next leader, the sacred chants used to pass down knowledge from generation to generation, the prayers to their ancestors and the dances present in many indigenous cultures.
Whale Rider directed by Niki Caro is a movie based on Witi Ihimaera book that will take you into a journey with Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes) the latest descendant of Paikea, the whale rider, he who rode the whale spiritual guide of their tribe from Hawaiki. Director Niki Caro did a magnificent job with the cast of this movie; we believe and feel Paikea joy, pain and sadness throughout the movie. He also gives us a glimpse look at the Maori sacred ways.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Sophie from Lake Tapps says "this is a must read"
Added 6/2/2010
Whale Rider
A whale is about 100 times larger than a person right? So imagine yourself riding on top of one (a 40 ton whale), you're the whale rider. Most people would be scared to death. That's why there's only been one whale rider, Kahuta Te Rangi. Now many years later a girl is born she is named Kahu after the whale rider. Kahu is the first born great grandchild of Koro Apirana, the tribe leader. This makes her destined to have all the Maori knowledge passed on to her. But Koro wanted to pass the knowledge on to a boy not a girl to follow the tradition. This 150 page book by Witi Ihimaera is amazing. I promise you'll remember Whale Rider forever.
Through out Whale Rider kahu is forced to fight for Koro's attention and love. Koro can't accept that his great granddaughter is a girl (shame on him). Luckily Nany Flowers is independent and always stands up for Kahu. Koro searches the different families for other boys to pass on the knowledge to, but none of them can pass the tests. Everything goes wrong when 200 whales beach themselves, the need to find someone to pass the knowledge onto becomes more urgent. Koro still doesn't see Kahu as a possibility; she becomes more agitated than ever. So when the sacred whale comes to beach himself kahu takes her chance to prove herself and swims out to it. The ending is amazing and unforgettable, you can't miss it!
My favorite part of Whale Rider is all the times Nanny Flowers threatened to divorce Koro. It's humorous in its own way because she never really divorces him (even if he may deserve it).
The most important thing I learned from this book is that girls are just as worthy and tough as boys.
Books similar to Whale Rider are The Birch Bark House, Before We Were Free, and number the stars.
You'll really love this book, it's a pretty quick read but worthwhile. You'll find some great girl power from Nanny Flowers and Kahu. Hurry up and grab this book before they're all gone! I give this book 5 stars!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Madi from Lake Tapps says, "Fantastic book!"
Added 6/2/2010
The Whale Rider
What if you were just a little girl who craved your Grandfathers love but just got neglected all the time? This is the problem Kahu has in the book The Whale Rider, by Witi Ihimaera. This book is 150 pages of a fun-loving young girl who becomes something no one thought she would ever be.
This book begins when Kahu is born, and she's a girl which means Koro Apirana is not happy. Koro Apirana is trying to find the next Whale Rider, which he believes to be a boy because he thinks boys are the dominating species, and if he secedes it would mean big things. Kahu, as the older she gets, does things that none of the boys could do, but Koro doesn't know this. This leads Nanny Flowers, Koro's wife, and Rawiri, Kahu's uncle, to believe that she could be the next Whale Rider. Nanny Flowers and Rawiri plan on not telling Koro about this, or he would be furious. So does Kahu become the Whale Rider? You have to read it to find out.
My favorite part of the book is when Nanny Flowers keeps smacking Rawiri because it's funny and because she's angry with him, and also when Nanny Flowers keeps calling Koro you old paka which means old booger, and when Nanny Flowers keeps saying that she's really going to divorce Koro this time because she always is saying it and she never really does..
The most important thing I learned is that girls are just as good as boys are and they can achieve just as much as boys can.
Witi Ihimaera has also written the books Pounamu Pounamu and Tangi, which you can buy in a book stores or check out in your local book store.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories of someone who struggles through many things and eventually becomes someone amazing and fulfills their destiny.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
a coming of age girl trying to impress her father and the people she lives with. Its inspiring and a good watch. I kept it to watch again some time or to loan out to friends.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
The Whale Rider and World Religions
Added 9/6/2010
The Whale Rider is a film that is about the Maori's cultures and traditions and about how the Maori people are trying to fit into the modern world that exists today. Pai is the young girl and she is faced with many challenges in this movie. She is a wonderful girl who has a great personality but she is hated by the males that surround her because there was an accident and her male twin died but she lived. According to culture the first born will become chief if he is male. Pai feels like she has let down her tribe because she survived the accident and because she is female. She believes that everyone would love her if she was male. Also that everyone wishes that she would have died instead of her male twin. Drama plagues the young girl when her grandpa is being very difficult when her twin brother dies and he treats the girl very harshly as if saying that he wished she would have passed away and her brother would had lived so that he could be chief and pass on the family name and make the grandpa and the whole other family proud by making things better for the life of the tribe's people. The Maori people believe that their ancestors have lived on the land that they now live on for over a thousand years. Pai is a girl who is filled with happiness and glows. Everyone around loves her for her upbeatness. Everyone except her grandfather who shows her no mind because he is too busy being depressed because Pai's twin who was a male and who was suppose to be the chief had died when he was born. The males around Pai have made her feel so bad because she lived and her male twin died. Overall this is a great movie for people of all ages. It encourages young females to never give up and to always chase their dreams.
This movie relates to world religions because this tribe in the movie relates to indigenous people and the native people. They are a tribe that inhabits the very same land that they believe their ancestors once lived on. Their culture and traditions were passed on from their ancestors and they still live this way of life even though they are faced with the common issues that modern day society throws at them.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Paikea struggle in a men's world
Added 9/4/2010
Whale Rider is a great movie, well worth watching, it takes you in a magnificent journey with Paikea, a young Maori girl, as she learn the Maori traditional sacred way to become the next clan leader, a role reserved for men.
Paikea is the descendant of the Whale Rider, in their tribe the chief's first born son becomes the next leader, sadly Paikea twin brother, died during his birth. She now try to become the next tribe leader, a traditionally men role within their tribe, her grand-father (Rawiri Paratene), Koro who's currently the tribe leader, and who lives by the ancient ways does not agree. Koro then decide to open a cultural school in order to form the next tribe leader, and asks all the first born sons of the tribe to attend those lessons and forbid Paikea to participate. Hemi (Mana Taumaunu), a boy sympathetic toward Paikea and the most likely candidate to become next tribe leader, is caught teaching Paikea how to use the Taiaha, at this moment Koro starts to think that Paikea might be the reason for the tribe misfortune. Aware of Koro refusal to teach Paikea the old ways her grand-mother (Vicky Haughton) takes upon Paikea's learning of the old ways. Paikea then ask her uncle Riwiki (Grant Roa) to teach her how to perform the Haka, and how to use the Taiaha, a sacred weapon in the Maori culture. Paikea sneaks into the school to learn the sacred chants taught to the boys by Koro, chants that he will use later to call upon the Whale spirit to help his tribe. Seeing no answer from the spirits Paikea then use the chants to call upon the spirits herself. Getting ready to attend Paikea's school play Koro finds many whales on the beach, he is then convince that Paikea is the reason for the tribe misfortune. Seeing Paikea riding the biggest whale back to the ocean Koro then realize his mistake and acknowledge Paikea as the next tribe leader.
This movie contains many sacred ways from the Maori people that can also be found in many other indigenous cultures around the world. Such as the animal spirit who is often used as a guide is present in this movie as the whale, the initiation that the young boys must go through to become the next leader, the sacred chants used to pass down knowledge from generation to generation, the prayers to their ancestors and the dances present in many indigenous cultures.
Whale Rider directed by Niki Caro is a movie based on Witi Ihimaera book that will take you into a journey with Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes) the latest descendant of Paikea, the whale rider, he who rode the whale spiritual guide of their tribe from Hawaiki. Director Niki Caro did a magnificent job with the cast of this movie; we believe and feel Paikea joy, pain and sadness throughout the movie. He also gives us a glimpse look at the Maori sacred ways.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Sophie from Lake Tapps says "this is a must read"
Added 6/2/2010
Whale Rider
A whale is about 100 times larger than a person right? So imagine yourself riding on top of one (a 40 ton whale), you're the whale rider. Most people would be scared to death. That's why there's only been one whale rider, Kahuta Te Rangi. Now many years later a girl is born she is named Kahu after the whale rider. Kahu is the first born great grandchild of Koro Apirana, the tribe leader. This makes her destined to have all the Maori knowledge passed on to her. But Koro wanted to pass the knowledge on to a boy not a girl to follow the tradition. This 150 page book by Witi Ihimaera is amazing. I promise you'll remember Whale Rider forever.
Through out Whale Rider kahu is forced to fight for Koro's attention and love. Koro can't accept that his great granddaughter is a girl (shame on him). Luckily Nany Flowers is independent and always stands up for Kahu. Koro searches the different families for other boys to pass on the knowledge to, but none of them can pass the tests. Everything goes wrong when 200 whales beach themselves, the need to find someone to pass the knowledge onto becomes more urgent. Koro still doesn't see Kahu as a possibility; she becomes more agitated than ever. So when the sacred whale comes to beach himself kahu takes her chance to prove herself and swims out to it. The ending is amazing and unforgettable, you can't miss it!
My favorite part of Whale Rider is all the times Nanny Flowers threatened to divorce Koro. It's humorous in its own way because she never really divorces him (even if he may deserve it).
The most important thing I learned from this book is that girls are just as worthy and tough as boys.
Books similar to Whale Rider are The Birch Bark House, Before We Were Free, and number the stars.
You'll really love this book, it's a pretty quick read but worthwhile. You'll find some great girl power from Nanny Flowers and Kahu. Hurry up and grab this book before they're all gone! I give this book 5 stars!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
