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Kōrero: Te whānau puha – whales

Whale rider – Paikea rides the whale

Video file

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.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Whalerider

by Niki Caro

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Bradford Haami, Te whānau puha – whales – Whales and Māori voyaging, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/video/9199/whale-rider-paikea-rides-the-whale (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Bradford Haami, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.