The Whale Rider – context

Patriarchy: Māori culture centres around patriarchy, and typically it is believed that succession
can only be passed down through the male line in a family. By making Kahu, a girl, the central
character, Ihimaera has put a twist on the Māori tradition whereby the boys are usually the
heroes. He did this because after watching a movie with his daughters, they expressed their frustration at the
idea that only boys could be heroes. Some Māori tribes are matriarchal, but only a few – primarily they are
patriarchal. Despite this, women in Māori culture were the ones ‘keeping the tribes going’ – like Nani Flowers
– though decision making was primarily the preserve of men.

Connection to natural world/whales: In Polynesia, whales are highly revered. In Māori

mythology, whales are considered as a partner for men whose domain is the sea. When Ihimaera
was in NYC, a whale came up the Hudson River, he thought, to say, ‘it’s ok that you’re living on
the other side of the world’ and that he had not been forgotten.

The Māori word for land, whenua, also means placenta. All life is seen as being born from the womb of
Papatūānuku, under the sea. The lands that appear above water are placentas from her womb. They float,
forming islands.

Paikea myth and interlock: Whale riding stories and traditions pervade Māori culture, and many
tribes have their own individual stories and legends. Often, stories involve a heroic ancestor
arriving in New Zealand on the back of a whale. A famous whale rider of legend, Paikea, got his
name from the humpbacked whale that rescued him after his brother tried to kill him. The story
of Kahutia Te Rangi relates to legends such as this one. The Māori people believe that they are his
descendants.

Interlock is mentioned in the novel – this is the belief that long ago, man and the natural world could
communicate with one another. The Māori people believe that over time, as man has grown away from
nature, we have lost that privilege.

Whaling: Whalers and sealers were among the first Europeans to arrive in New Zealand. The first
shore based whaling stations were established in southern New Zealand in the late 1820s. From
early on, Māori joined the whaling vessels as crew. In 1839, the peak year for New Zealand
whaling, approximately 200 whaleships were working in New Zealand waters. In 1911, a whaling
station using steam driven vessels and new explosive harpoon technology was established to hunt humpback
whales. In 1946 New Zealand was one of the founding members of the International Whaling Commission
(IWC), established to manage the world's whale resources. New Zealand left the IWC in 1969 but re-joined in
1976 and is now considered to be one of the staunchest advocates of whale conservation. Whales are still
"hunted" in New Zealand, but with cameras by tourists – not harpoons.

Mana and moko: Mana is the word that represents the idea of a personal, sacred force or
spiritual essence. It exists in almost all things including people, animals, land and even inanimate
objects. Mana is integral to each being and it is incredibly powerful. Mana isn't static; it can be
gained, either through family and ancestors, or through personal wealth. The Māori tradition of facial tattoos
– called moko – focuses on exhibiting and preserving each person’s mana, while also symbolising a person’s
status and heritage. Mana can be gained though completing good deeds – known as utu.

Impact of humans on natural world: Ihimaera witnessed a whale stranding personally, which
shaped the graphic scenes of whale strandings and butchering. The novel is written in 1987 –
Chernobyl disaster had taken place just the year before, arguably the worst nuclear disaster in
history. Man’s impact on the world was becoming more obvious in 1980; the term ‘global warming’ was used
for the first time in 1975.

Colonialism and its effects/difficulties retaining traditions: The Māori are the native people of
New Zealand who, legend says, came originally from Polynesia. When European settlers arrived,
some Māori tribesmen learnt how to hunt whales and other marine life by accompanying them on
expeditions. By the end of the 18th century, the Māori population was in decline due to war and disease, and
there was a concern that their culture would be wiped out completely. As reflected in The Whale Rider, in
Rawiri’s experiences in Australia and Koro’s attempts to hang on to the old ways, the Māori culture was
compromised again in the 20th century. This happened when some younger generations of Māori left the
villages for big towns and cities. There has since been a renewal of interest in Māori culture and traditions,
and there is more acceptance of Māori culture across New Zealand.

Racism: Racism against the Māori people has its roots in the aftermath of colonialism. When the
English settlers came to New Zealand, they tricked the Māori chiefs into signing a treaty (the
treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840) which gave the Māori people the rights of British citizens, but
allowed settlers to acquire land from Māori people very easily. British settlers also saw themselves as
superior to Māori people, and in 1907 a suppression act passed that outlawed the teaching and practice of
Māori culture. The Māori population and language saw a decline because of this, but in 1971 the Race
Relations act gave Māori people more of a voice to fight for the treaty of Waitangi to be honoured, and steps
have been taken since to do so. However, racism is still rife against Indigenous peoples – incarcerations rates
are higher in Indigenous populations, and an indigenous person is more likely to be arrested or have a
firearm turned on them.

Birth cord burial: Traditionally, the whenua (placenta) and pito (umbilical cord) of new-born
babies are buried in a significant place. The placenta is placed in a specially prepared receptacle
and buried in a particular location. This practice reinforces the relationship between the new-
born child and the land of their birth. The place where one’s umbilical cord was severed is called ‘te wāhi i
kotia ai te pito’. This is a place of special importance for each person. It is their place of first emergence into
the world, of first maturation and foundation.

Māori tradition believes ancestors can come through to new-born children, similar to reincarnation.

Ecofiction: The Whale Rider can be considered a piece of ecofiction – a work which
encompasses the nature or environment, Importantly, a work of ecofiction should include: the
non-human environment not merely as a framing device but as a presence that begins to
suggest that human history is implicated in natural history; clear indicators that the human
interest is not the only legitimate interest; human accountability to the environment as part of the texts’
ethical orientation; some sense of the environment as a process rather than as a constant.

Bildungsroman: This novel could be considered a bildungsroman – a novel or learning and

growth. Typically, a bildungsroman follows the journey of a child as they grow into a later stage
of their life, learning lessons along the way. We can see this in Kahu – how she strives to prove
her leadership qualities to Koro, even though she has boundaries and obstacles in her way.