Whale Rider (2002) is a movie that follows the journey of a young girl named Pai who is the twin sister of her late twin brother, who was named to be the next chief of the Maori tribe in New Zealand. Due to the experience her father went through, he became more disconnected with the Maori culture and tries to move away. Pai sets out to claim the title of being the next chief by studying and practicing the Maori culture and customs; however, this leads to tension between her and her grandfather who is very ingrained in following the traditional ways where men were the only people to inherit the chief position. In the climax of the movie, Pai eventually became the new chief, signalling a new shift in tradition for the Maori tribe. This movie is related to anthropology as it reflects many themes and issues faced by indigenous peoples today such as the preservation of dying practices/traditions, understanding one’s relationship with the environment, the concept of identity, and the increased levels of globalization that cause newer generations in these groups to leave for more modern practices/places.
One of the overarching themes towards the end of the film is the importance of Pai and family’s relationship to the environment. In the Maori context, the land, whenua, is integral in their identity as it is connected to their values of family with the duty to maintain the integrity of the land for future generations in the whakapapa (Ka’ai). This results in the values of kaitiakitanga which often holds a connotation of preservation and conservation as guardians(“Week 9” Lecture, slide 15). In Whale Rider (2002), the Maori tribe looks to the conditions of the environment to connect with their ancestors. This is more evident towards the end of the film when Pai and her family had discovered the beached whales and began mourning for their conditions. The belief that the call to the ancestors for help was answered through the arrival of these whales demonstrates how the tribe’s relationship to the environment is not only related to their identity but also their family. The importance of the environment is a characteristic shared amongst many indigenous groups such as the Aboriginal Australians and Degar; however, how their lands are important vary from group to group. For the Aboriginal Australians, they justify their relationship to the land through the concept of Country and Dreamings and seek efforts to maintain the integrity of and the connection to the land they have lived on (Pascoe & Horton 13). In the context of the Degar, their animistic folk religion draws a spiritual connection between the Degar people and their ancestral lands in the Central Highlands of Vietnam (Armosilla & Gallegos ⅜). While the environment is preserved for the future generations to continue maintaining for generations, with the rise of modernity and globalization, the traditional practices and beliefs have been less practiced, leading to increased efforts to preserve these traditions.
In Whale Rider (2002), the preservation of dying traditions and practices is a theme that is common among many indigenous groups especially those affected by colonization and globalization. Koro, the Maori chief, had responded to the globalization by making considerable efforts to maintain the traditional Maori practices such as the practices of haka, gathering at the marae, and use of taiaha, leading to his creation of a school to educate the Maori practices to young boys. Performances at the marae by Pai and other young children have also been a way to allow for the cultural expression of the Maori tradition. Still in the context of the Maori people, the language has also been less practiced in New Zealand, and one of the initiatives taken is the hosting of a Maori Language Week to celebrate the language and culture of the Maori people (Katz). They also catered to the interests of the younger generation by presenting a Maori-dubbed version of Moana to begin a dialogue based on popular culture.
In relation to other indigenous groups, tradition is also affected by globalization and how it is preserved varies. In The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific, very few people on Satawal in Micronesia know and learn the seafaring ways of Polynesian navigation. The lack of practice and education in this tradition results from globalization and the rise in other advanced technology to navigate the waters. From the framing and perspective of the documentary, there have not been any further initiatives taken by the people of Satawal to address this issue, but it shows that there are some people that are trying to keep the traditions alive by learning it themselves and passing it down to those who do show an urge to learn. In the context of Indigenous Australians, Australia has celebrated the First Australians with NAIDOC week and shared their culture with tourism (Pascoe & Horton 126). Though the idea of tourism is more globalized in concept and tend to be more of a snapshot in time, the use of tourism as a medium to communicate traditional ideas and is a response to maintain traditional practices in a rapidly changing world. One example of modern-day tourism to maintain identity and practices is the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. With many of the activities and experiences such as the welcoming ritual that occurs before gathering into the marae for a performance, explanations of the significance of these customs are addressed for the visitor to understand more about the culture. This would present a skewed view of the actual customs since it is catered towards the tourist perspective and some practices may be omitted; however, cultural practices and language is still preserved and may benefit the local peoples in other ways such as economically (Winzeler 224). While tourism may be a useful tool to preserve tradition, it, along with other effects of globalization, has caused tension between ideas of tradition and modernity.
Throughout the course of Whale Rider (2002), a common theme that arose in different contexts is the clash of ideals between tradition and modernity, represented primarily through the clash of ideal between the older generation, namely Koro, and younger generations. One of the first instances is reflected in the relationship between Koro and Porourangi. While the son works in contemporary Western art, the relationship is affected by the clash between Koro’s strictness of tradition and Porourangi’s inability to keep up with tradition. The attitudes of Porourangi echoes the attitudes of other indigenous cultures that experience the tensions, often generational, between modernity and tradition. In the context of the Hmong people, in Split Horn, some of the sons of the shaman had claimed that the traditional practices as not as convenient and that it was a waste of time in the American lifestyle (The Split Horn). Despite the upbringing in a more modern and globalized setting, there are cases where people try to actively participate in the traditional cultural practices and try to keep them alive with some adaptations. In Whale Rider (2002), this can be seen in Pai’s active participation in the Maori practices; however, tensions become complicated as she is female, challenging tradition with her gender. Another example, in the Maori context, of an individual that actively tries to maintain ties to their traditional culture despite being raised in an modernized setting would be Stevie Sikeua. In her TED Talk, she uses the medium of spoken word poetry in order to convey her whakapapa, how it shapes her life, and ties to her Maori culture despite being an urban Maori (Sikeua). In response to globalization and maintenance of practices, there are existing tensions between tradition and modernity, and in many cases, traditions may be adapted to remain in practice. In Whale Rider (2002), while Pai was female, she helped continue the Maori tribe’s traditions as the new chief, and upon assuming the position, her father had actually returned and took part in the traditional practices as well.
Overall, Whale Rider (2002) relates to anthropology by showcasing how people and their traditions are affected by and respond to globalization and its effects. Whale Rider (2002) touches upon different issues faced by indigenous groups today such as the relationship with the land in which they preside, preserving traditions that have become less practiced, and understanding the dynamics and tensions between tradition and modernity resulting from globalization. The land and environment condition is important to maintain the integrity of for indigenous peoples as the connection to the land may be spiritual or bounded by duty. Initiatives are taken to preserve practices which vary between different cases which include but is not limited to cultural celebrations, establishing schools, and tourism. Ideas of modernity and tradition lead to conflicts, often between generations; however, through adaptation and compromise from both sides, culture and tradition can still be preserved and is constantly reshaping itself to survive.
Works Cited
Armosilla, Aimee, and Matthew Gallegos. “The Degar.” Indigenous Peoples of Asia Pacific, 8 Mar. 2019, Whittier College. Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
Hsu, Minna. “Week 2 Lecture Slides.” Indigenous Peoples of Asia Pacific, 25 Mar. 2019, Whittier College. Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
Ka’ai, Tania. Ki Te Whaiao: An Introduction to Māori Culture and Society. Auckland, N.Z: Pearson Longman, 2004. Print.
Katz, Brigit. “Maori Translation of ‘Moana’ Is a Hit in New Zealand.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 22 Sept. 2017, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/maori-translation-moana-hit-new-zealand-180964958/.
The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific. Dir. Sanford Low. Documentary Educational Resources, 2013. Kanopy. Web. 15 Mar. 2019.
Pascoe, Bruce, and David Horton. The Little Red Yellow Black Book: an Introduction to Indigenous Australia. Aboriginal Studies Press, 2018.
Sikeua, Stevie. “Spoken Word Poetry on the Importance of Whakapapa.” TEDxUOA. Dec. 2017. Lecture.
The Split Horn. Dir. Taggart Seigel. Collective Eye Films, 2001. Kanopy. Web. 27 Apr. 2019.
Winzeler, Robert L. The Peoples of Southeast Asia Today: Ethnography, Ethnology, and Change in a Complex Region. AltaMira, 2011.
