The Maori People and The Whale Rider

The Maori people are indigenous to New Zealand.  They have many traditions and customs that are unique to their people.  We see many of these such customs in the movie The Whale Rider.

 Facial Tattoos:  The Maori use the facial tattoos the men shows rank in the tribe.  These tattoos are also known as the Moko.  This is their identity card and different symbols represent different ranks.

For the women, the tattoos are  more subtle only defining the lips and chin.  

For all tattoos, a bone chisel was used to carve the images into the skin.  This chisel was then dipped in pigment and tapped into the carvings to create the image. 

We see this tattooing in the film The Whale Rider. 

 
The Haka:  This is the  dance of the Maori people, particularly the men.  There are many types of Haka, the most well-known is the war dance.  This shows their strength and is meant to ward off their enemies.  It is also supposed to motivate the warriors in battle.  In this dance there chanting, stamping of feet, bulging of eyes, tongue extension, and waving of weapons.

In The Whale Rider, we see that this tradition has been lost among the younger generation and there is an attempt to teach the young men in the tribe how tow perform the Haka.

The Woman's Role:  Women in the Maori culture were not allowed in battle or to perform the Haka.  They were however, well respected for their childbearing abilities.  Women were also allowed to do the opening calls and to welcome guests.  They were also revered for their storytelling abilities.  

In the film we see that women must take a back seat to the men.  Paka could not even accept that a female could be chosen by the gods to be the chief of the tribe. Pikea could only prove herself in her death.  This is when she is finally free to follow her destiny.