Story: Te whānau puha – whales

Whale rider – Paikea rides the whale

In this extract from the movie Whale rider young Paikea rides the lead whale of a stranded pod out into the sea, so that the rest will follow. Paikea is named after her ancestor, also known as the whale rider because he travelled on the back of a whale to Whāngārā on the East Coast of New Zealand. This traditional account of Paikea is well-known by a number of iwi (tribes) throughout New Zealand.

Using this item

Whalerider
Film by Niki Caro

© 2002 South Pacific Pictures Ltd./ApolloMedia GmbH & Co. 5. Filmproduktion KG

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How to cite this page:

Bradford Haami, 'Te whānau puha – whales - Whales and Māori voyaging', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/9199/whale-rider-paikea-rides-the-whale (accessed 28 March 2024)

Story by Bradford Haami, published 12 Jun 2006