Every culture has its own traditions and many times these traditions are interrupted when new generations are born. In the film Whale Rider depicts a culture in transition. The Maori, the Polynesian people native to New Zealand, are looking for a male descendant of Paikea, the courageous leader who escaped death on the back of a whale, to guide them and restore traditions. Koro Pai's grandfather was waiting for the firstborn of the new generation who should be the leader. Unfortunately the tradition was interrupted when Pai's twin brother died. What Koro doesn't understand is that Pai is the leader everyone has been waiting for. The Maori have been waiting a long time and many have lost hope and are abandoning the village. The culture has also become unhealthy, for example, when Pai comes home and notices that the women playing cards at the dinner table are smoking. Pai says: "Māori women must stop smoking, we must protect our motherhood." This quote helps show how women don't care about their health and just smoke. Another example when Pai goes to her uncle Rawiri's house to ask if he can teach her taiaha, the uncle is just lying down and lazy with his wife smoking. Since the uncle is lazy, he has gained weight and is no longer as thin as before. Even Maori families, for example, have split; when Hemi comes over to introduce his father he stays alone for the first part and then leaves with his friends. When Hemi's father leaves his presentation early, Hemi feels upset because he really wanted to show his father what he has learned about his culture. Another example is how Pai's father leaves Pai with Koro while he is in Germany to pursue his career as an artist. Pai's father leaves her because h...... middle of paper...... Pai climbs onto the back of the whale and makes it return to the ocean. The whale takes the rest of the whales back to the sea, while this is happening the nanny gives Koro the whale tooth, which Pai had obtained. After Pai is hospitalized, Koro realizes that Pai is the leader everyone has been waiting for and asks for her forgiveness. Eventually everyone in the village celebrates his status as leader and, working together, the waka is finished and taken to sea. Pai states: “My name is Paikea Apirana and I am descended from a long line of chiefs stretching back to the whale rider. I am not a prophet, but I know that our people will move forward, all together, with all our strength." This helps to show that although the tradition was broken when she was born, she is willing to be the new change and be the leader that Māori have been waiting for..