The Whale Rider
by Witi Ihimaeraliterary work· published 1987
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The Whale Rider is a 1987 novel by New Zealand author Witi Ihimaera. In 2002 it was adapted into a film, Whale Rider, directed by Niki Caro. Set in the 1980s in Whangara, a Māori community on the eastern edge of New Zealand's North Island, the novel is a retelling of the myth of Paikea. Kahu is the eldest great-grandchild of chief Koro Apirana; had she been a boy, she would have been the future leader of the tribe but since she is a girl, she is detested by her grandfather Koro Apirana, a male chauvinist blinded by culture. She is attuned to the traditional Māori way of life, and has inherited the ability to speak to whales.
Adaptations (1)
The Whale Rider was adapted into a 2002 film.
Whale Rider2002 · film · 101 min · dir. Niki Caro · IMDb ↗A contemporary story of love, rejection, and triumph as a young Māori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.
