Lesson 1: COMPARISON OF THE TREATY OF WAITANGI WITH NATIVE AMERICAN TREATIES
The social conditions that cause Paikea's grandfather Koro to seek a leader for the next generation - one who can perpetuate the cultural practices and values of the tribe - stem from the colonization of Aotearoa/New Zealand by Great Britain. The historical circumstances surrounding this colonization process are directly connected to the document that created New Zealand, the Treaty of Waitangi. In this lesson students will compare the treaty and the current conditions of Maori to treaties between the US and Native Americans, and the condition Native Americans experience today.
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Lesson 2: ORAL GENEOLOGY
In an important scene in
Whale Rider, Paikea chants her descent from a long line of chiefs. The scene imparts the importance in Maori culture of whakapapa or genealogy. Many of the gods that the Maori have in common with other Polynesian peoples are revered as ancient ancestors. In an oral culture such as the Maori culture, these lengthy genealogies are held in memory as chants. In this lesson students will explore their own genealogy and create a chant as a device to hold it in memory.
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Lesson 3: WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP
One of the central issues in
Whale Rider is women's leadership in Maori society. Paikea's gender is the primary obstacle to her acceptance as a potential leader of her tribe. In this lesson, students will examine the role of women in Maori society and compare it to womens' role(s) in their own society.
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Author:
These lesson plans were written by former Fulbright Scholar 'Umi Perkins, who currently teaches in Hawai'i in the Kamehameha School System.
