Whale symbolism permeates the carvings and oral traditions of many East Coast tribes, including Ngāti Porou. This carving of Paikea, the whale rider, was made by the well-known East Coast carver Pine Taiapa. It sits at the roof apex of Whitirēia marae, built at the tiny East Coast community of Whāngārā in 1937. Paikea is the ancestor of the Ngāti Konohi sub-tribe. This image is a still from Niki Caro’s award-winning feature film, Whale rider, which drew on the Paikea story and was set in Whāngārā.
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by Niki Caro
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