Whale Rider Belonging

Disruptions to one’s connection to culture is a prominent topic in today’s society and culture is an important feature in many people’s lives. Whale Rider directed by Niki Caro and Stolen Girl by Trina Saffioti and Norma MacDonald displaying this common theme in their respective indigenous contexts. Both texts explore disruptions to one’s connection to culture differently, with whale rider overcoming intercommunity development in relation to gender and stolen girl commenting on the stolen generation of indigenous peoples whereas the children’s culture was stripped away from them by an external party. The texts Whale Rider and Stolen Girl both test the character’s connection to their respective culture’s by presenting them with multiple challenge’s as seen in the whales washing up on the beach and the aboriginal girl being taken away from her family. In the texts, disruptions to the character’s connection to culture are represented through song, physical challenges, emotional hurdles, and major events. …show more content…
This is shown through the main character of Pai as displays all of the qualities of a strong leader, except one important factor. In the Maori culture the chief has always been traditionally a male. “A man to lead a new people. We were waiting for… the descendant of the whale rider. For the boy who would be chief.” When Pai was born and her twin brother died, a large disruption between following tradition or moving forward with a strong female leader was apparent. ““I come from a long line of chiefs…but I was not the leader my grandfather was expecting… I broke the line back to the ancient ones. It wasn’t anybody’s fault…it just