BCIS: GRADE 11 ENGLISHscallywagsandscoundrels.weebly.com/uploads/9/4/9/0/... · 2020-03-15 · notably in the Maori land wars of the 1860s. British and colonial forces eventually

BCIS: GRADE 11 ENGLISHCulture Literacy 1 : “Whale Rider”

NAME:

D i s c o v e r i n g M a o r i C u l t u r e t h r o u g h J o u r n e y s i n F i l m : W h a l e R i d e r

Polynesia

Reprinted with permission from WorldAtlas.com

H a n d o u t 1

L e s s o n 1 SOCIA L STU DI E S (G EO G RAPHY/WO RLD H I STO RY )

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153D i s c o v e r i n g M a o r i C u l t u r e t h r o u g h J o u r n e y s i n F i l m : W h a l e R i d e r

Background Note: New Zealand

PROFILE [Adapted from the U.S. Department of State at

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35852.htm]

Official Name: New Zealand

Geography

Area: 270,500 sq. km.; about the size of Colorado.

Cities: (as of June 30, 2003): Capital – Wellington

(363,400). Other cities – Auckland (1,199,300),

Christchurch (358,000), Hamilton (179,000).

Terrain: Highly varied, from snowcapped

mountains to lowland plains.

Climate: Temperate to subtropical.

People

Nationality: Noun – New Zealander(s).

Adjective – New Zealand.

Population: (2003): 4,010,000.

Annual growth rate (as of June 30, 2004): 1.3%.

Ethnic groups: European 75%, Maori 15%,

other Polynesian 6.5%.

Religions: Anglican 15.22%, Roman Catholic

12.65%, Presbyterian 10.87%.

Languages: English, Maori.

Education: Years compulsory – ages 6-16. Attendance

– 100%. Literacy – 99%.

Health (2000-2002): Infant mortality rate – 6.1/1,000.

Life expectancy – males 76.3 yrs., females 81.1 yrs.

Work force (March 2004, 1.98 million): Services and

government – 65%; manufacturing and construction

– 25%; agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and mining – 10%.

Government

Type: Parliamentary.

Constitution: No formal, written constitution.

Independence: Declared a dominion in 1907.

Branches: Executive – Queen Elizabeth II (chief

of state, represented by a governor general), prime

minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative

– unicameral House of Representatives, commonly

called parliament. Judicial – four-level system:

District Courts, High Courts, the Court of Appeal,

and the Supreme Court, which in 2004 replaced the

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London

as New Zealand’s highest court of appeal. There also

are specialized courts, such as employment court,

family courts, youth courts, and the Maori Land Court.

Administrative subdivisions: 12 regions with directly

elected councils and 74 districts (15 of which are

designated as cities) with elected councils. There

also are a number of community boards and special-

purpose bodies with partially elected, partially

appointed memberships.

Political parties: Labour, National, Progressive

Coalition Party, New Zealand Green Party, New

Zealand First, ACT, United Future, and several

smaller parties not represented in Parliament.

Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Economy

GDP (March 2004): US$76.42 billion.

Real annual GDP growth rate (March 2004): 3.6%.

Per capita income (2002): US$12,804.

Natural resources: Timber, natural gas, iron sand, coal.

Agriculture (9.7% of GDP): Products – meat, dairy

products, forestry products.

Industry (46.1% of GDP): Types – food processing,

textiles, machinery, transport equipment.

Trade (2003): Exports – US$19.02 billion: meat, dairy

products, forest/wood/paper products, fish, machinery

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& equipment, metals, fruit. Major markets –

Australia, U.S., Japan, China.

Imports – US$20.89 billion: vehicles, machinery

& equipment, mineral fuels, petroleum, plastics,

medical equipment. Major suppliers – Australia, U.S.,

Japan, China.

People

Most of the 4 million New Zealanders are of British

origin. About 15% claim descent from the indigenous

Maori population, which is of Polynesian origin.

Nearly 75% of the people, including a large majority

of Maori, live on the North Island. In addition,

231,800 Pacific Islanders live in New Zealand. During

the late 1870s, natural increase permanently replaced

immigration as the chief contributor to population

growth and accounted for more than 75% of population

growth in the 20th century. Nearly 85% of New Zealand’s

population lives in urban areas (with almost one-third

in Auckland alone), where the service and manufac-

turing industries are growing rapidly. New Zealanders

colloquially refer to themselves as “Kiwis,” after the

country’s native bird.

History

Archaeological evidence indicates that New Zealand

was populated by fishing and hunting people of

East Polynesian ancestry perhaps 1,000 years before

Europeans arrived. Known to some scholars as the

Moa-hunters, they may have merged with later waves

of Polynesians who, according to Maori tradition,

arrived between 952 and 1150. Some of the Maoris

called their new homeland Aotearoa, usually trans-

lated as “land of the long white cloud.”

In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch navigator, made the

first recorded European sighting of New Zealand and

sketched sections of the two main islands’ west coasts.

English Captain James Cook thoroughly explored the

coastline during three South Pacific voyages beginning

in 1769. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries,

lumbering, seal hunting, and whaling attracted a few

European settlers to New Zealand. In 1840, the United

Kingdom established British sovereignty through the

Treaty of Waitangi, signed that year with Maori chiefs.

In the same year, selected groups from the United

Kingdom began the colonization process. Expanding

European settlement led to conflict with Maori, most

notably in the Maori land wars of the 1860s. British

and colonial forces eventually overcame determined

Maori resistance. During this period, many Maori

died from disease and warfare, much of it intertribal.

Constitutional government began to develop in the

1850s. In 1867, the Maori won the right to a certain

number of reserved seats in parliament. During this

period, the livestock industry began to expand, and

the foundations of New Zealand’s modern economy

took shape. By the end of the 19th century, improved

transportation facilities made possible a great overseas

trade in wool, meat, and dairy products.

By the 1890s, parliamentary government along

democratic lines was well-established, and New

Zealand’s social institutions assumed their present

form. Women received the right to vote in national

elections in 1893. The turn of the century brought

sweeping social reforms that built the foundation for

New Zealand’s version of the welfare state.

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155D i s c o v e r i n g M a o r i C u l t u r e t h r o u g h J o u r n e y s i n F i l m : W h a l e R i d e r


The Maori gradually recovered from population

decline and, through interaction and intermarriage

with settlers and missionaries, adopted much of

European culture. In recent decades, Maori have

become increasingly urbanized and have become

more politically active and culturally assertive.

New Zealand was declared a dominion by a royal

proclamation in 1907. It achieved full internal and

external autonomy by the Statute of Westminster

Adoption Act in 1947, although this merely formal-

ized a situation that had existed for many years.

Government

New Zealand has a parliamentary system of government

closely patterned on that of the United Kingdom and

is a fully independent member of the Commonwealth.

It has no written constitution. Executive authority is

vested in a cabinet led by the prime minister, who is

the leader of the political party or coalition of parties

holding the majority of seats in parliament. All cabinet

ministers must be members of parliament and are

collectively responsible to it.

The unicameral parliament (House of Representatives)

has 120 seats, seven of which currently are reserved

for Maori elected on a separate Maori roll. However,

Maori also may run for, and have been elected to,

non-reserved seats. Parliaments are elected for a

maximum term of 3 years, although elections can

be called sooner.

The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, Court of

Appeal, High Courts, and District Courts. New

Zealand law has three principal sources – English

common law, certain statutes of the UK Parliament

enacted before 1947, and statutes of the New Zealand

Parliament. In interpreting common law, the courts

have been concerned with preserving uniformity with

common law as interpreted in the United Kingdom.

Local government in New Zealand has only the

powers conferred upon it by parliament. The country’s

12 regional councils are directly elected, set their own

tax rates, and have a chairperson elected by their members.

Regional council responsibilities include environmental

management, regional aspects of civil defense, and

transportation planning. The 74 “territorial authorities”

– 15 city councils, 58 district councils in rural areas,

and one county council for the Chatham Islands –

are directly elected, raise local taxes at rates they

themselves set, and are headed by popularly elected

mayors. The territorial authorities may delegate powers

to local community boards. These boards, instituted

at the behest of either local citizens or territorial

authorities, advocate community views but cannot

levy taxes, appoint staff, or own property.

Principal Government Officials

Chief of State – Queen Elizabeth II

Governor General – Her Excellency the Honorable

Dame Silvia Cartwright

Prime Minister – Helen Clark

Foreign Minister – Phil Goff

Ambassador to the United States – John Wood

Ambassador to the United Nations – Donald James

MacKay

Economy

New Zealand’s economy has been based on a foundation

of exports from its very efficient agricultural system.

Leading agricultural exports include meat, dairy

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products, forest products, fruit and vegetables, fish,

and wool. New Zealand was a direct beneficiary of

many of the reforms achieved under the Uruguay

Round of trade negotiations, with agriculture in

general and the dairy sector in particular enjoying

many new trade opportunities. The country has

substantial hydroelectric power and reserves of

natural gas, although the largest gas field – supplying

84% of New Zealand’s natural gas – is expected to be

tapped out by 2007. Leading manufacturing sectors

are food processing, metal fabrication, and wood and

paper products.

Since 1984, government subsidies, including for agri-

culture, were eliminated; import regulations liberal-

ized; tariffs unilaterally slashed; exchange rates freely

floated; controls on interest rates, wages, and prices

removed; and marginal rates of taxation reduced.

Tight monetary policy and major efforts to reduce the

government budget deficit brought the inflation rate

down from an annual rate of more than 18% in 1987.

The restructuring and sale of government-owned

enterprises in the 1990s reduced government’s role in

the economy and permitted the retirement of some

public debt. As a result, New Zealand is now one of

the most open economies in the world.

Economic growth has remained relatively robust in

recent years (i.e., around 3%), benefiting from a net

gain in immigration, rising housing prices, strong

consumer spending and favorable international prices

for the country’s exported commodities. New Zealand

did not experience the slowdown in growth seen

in many other countries following the events of

September 11, 2001, and the subsequent fall in

overseas share markets. The prolonged period of

good economic growth led the unemployment rate

to drop from 7.8% in 1999 to a 17-year low of 4% in

mid-2004. The growth has also helped to substantially

narrow the current account deficit, which stood at

4.5% of GDP in 2003.

New Zealand’s economy has been helped by strong

economic relations with Australia. New Zealand and

Australia are partners in “Closer Economic Relations”

(CER), which allows for free trade in goods and most

services. Since 1990, CER has created a single market

of more than 22 million people, and this has provided

new opportunities for New Zealand exporters.

Australia is now the destination of 21% of New

Zealand’s exports, compared to 14% in 1983. Both

sides also have agreed to consider extending CER to

product standardization and taxation policy. New

Zealand has had a free trade agreement with

Singapore since 2001.

156

LESSON 1 : Indigenous Peoples

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Important Ideas

Indigenous Peoplesculture

traditiongender roles

Speaking Task 1

Directions: Write a short answer to the following questions, and then share your answers with with your partner.

1. Are there any aboriginal people in Taiwan?

2. Do you know any famous aboriginal people?

3. Have you ever met an aboriginal person?

4. How many of Taiwan’s different aboriginal tribes can you name?

5. How long have aboriginal people lived lived in Taiwan?

6. Where did they come from?

7. What languages do they speak?

8. What do you know about their cultures & way of life?

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Listening Task 1

Directions: Listen to the teacher and match the name with the place.

NAME PLACE

1. Maori a. U.S.A.

2. Aborigine b. Mexico

3. Native American c. Mexico

4. Inuit d. Australia

5. Ainu e. Japan

6. Aztecs f. New Zealand

7. Mayans g. Taiwan

8. Indigenous People h. Canada

9. Amis ALL

New Words

IndigenousFirst Peoples

Native Americans (Indians)Inuit (Eskimos)

AboriginesMaoriAinu

Polynesian

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Events in Maori History

1. Adapting to the Environment. AD 1300. New Zealand has a much different environment fromthe one the early Maori had known. (Imagine the warm, lush tropical climate of Hawaii orTahiti and then compare that to the landscape in the film The Lord of the Rings, which was shotin New Zealand.) The differences found by the Maori affected plant life (some of their plantswould not survive in the temperate climate), trees (New Zealand had taller and stronger treesthan tropical trees, so Maori could make even more amazing ocean canoes), houses (theyneeded walled houses rather than open-sided ones), and clothes (they needed to fashion moreclothing). They had no words for the snow that covered the mountains or the lakes in the middle of the islands.

2. Affecting the Environment. AD 1300-1500. The early Maori in turn affected the environmentthey found. It was rich with fish and shellfish, sea lions, and moa birds. These large flightlessbirds, cousin to the emu and ostrich, evolved together with a large eagle that was their onlypredator, and they lived in a balance. The birds were so plentiful that the Maori had the nickname of moa hunters. But they wasted the moa, killing the birds and their eggs in muchgreater number than was necessary. By 1500 moas were scarce, and sometime in the 1500s themoa became extinct. This caused their predator, the great eagle, to vanish as well. Maori alsohunted the sea lions there to extinction. Loss of these protein sources made life much harder, and there were times of famine.

3. First Contact. AD 1642. Abel Janszoon Tasman, a Dutch sea captain, came upon the northernpart of the South Island of New Zealand. Maoris attacked their small landing craft and killedseveral Dutch sailors. Tasman named the island after the province Zeeland in the Netherlands.

4. Second Contact. AD 1769. The British Captain James Cook came to New Zealand looking fora Southern Continent that Europeans thought was somewhere in the South Pacific. By circlingand mapping New Zealand, and sailing farther south, he showed there was no other large continent out there. But he sparked interest in New Zealand.

5. White Potato. AD 1769. Captain James Cook introduced the white potato, which solved theMaori food problem. It grew earlier and with less careful attention than the more commonsweet potato. One writer even says, “It is likely that the introduction of the white potato byearly European explorers such as Cook saved many Maori from starvation.” (Chambers 76)

H a n d o u t 3 • p . 1


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6. Whaling and Seal Ships. AD 1800s. Increasingly whaling ships and seal hunters visited theisland, and Maori coastal tribes worked cutting timber, loading ships, and even sailing inwhalers. Food and services were traded for blankets, knives, and any iron tools, which were valued by the Maori.

7. Musket Wars. AD 1818-1840. Trade allowed Maori to get cheap muskets from Westerners, andmuskets allowed the warriors more powerful ways to get mana. However, this made their tribalwarfare more deadly than ever. During these decades of fighting, tens of thousands of Maoridied, possibly a third to a half of the total Maori population.

8. Destruction of the Moriori. AD 1835. Perhaps 400 years earlier a group of early Maoris sailedto the Chatham Islands, 500 miles south of New Zealand. Later known as the Moriori, they hadlost contact with New Zealand until Maori sailing on European ships found out about them.They had developed a peaceful hunting and gathering society, and controlled their populationto prevent famine. In 1835 two tribes of Maori sailed there to escape the Musket Wars. TheMoriori had no warrior tradition, and no real weapons, so they offered to share the islandspeacefully. But the Maori attacked, killed many and took others prisoner, according to theirwarrior tradition. It is estimated the Moriori population went from 1600 to about 160.

9. Treaty of Waitangi. AD 1840. Tired of their own wars, and vulnerable to the increasing number (now thousands) of European settlers, many Maori chiefs signed the Treaty ofWaitangi with Captain William Hobson of the British Navy. It gave Britain sovereignty or control over New Zealand in exchange for providing law and order, and protecting all Maorirights, including property rights.

H a n d o u t 3 • p . 2


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Two Flags From New Zealand

The modern New Zealand flag was adopted in 1902. The flag is based on the British blue ensignflag, which has the Union Jack (the flag of Great Britain) in the upper left-hand corner; the NewZealand flag adds four red stars laid out in the pattern of the Southern Cross. The traditional flagmeasures twice as wide as it is high.

In 1990, a contest was held to create a Maori flag. The winning flag (above) has colors representingMaori beliefs:

• BLACK represents the darkness from which the earth came and is associated with Rangi, the godof the sky.

• RED represents coming into being and symbolizes Papatuanuku, the earth-mother.

• WHITE represents the realm of being and light, the physical world, purity, harmony, enlighten-ment and balance. The white is in the shape of a curling fern frond, representing the unfoldingof new life. It also symbolizes a white cloud rolling across the face of the land; the Maori namefor New Zealand is Aotearoa (“Land of the long white cloud”).

H a n d o u t 4


Script

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Narrator

In the old days,The land felt a great emptiness.

It was waiting...Waiting to be filled up...

Waiting for someone to love it...Waiting for a leader.

And he came on the back of a whale...A man to lead a new people.

Our ancestor, Paikea.

But now we were waitingFor the firstborn of the new generation...For the descendant of the whale rider...

For the boy who would be chief.

There was no gladness when I was born.My twin brother died and took our mother with him.

Everyone was waitingFor the firstborn boy to lead us...

but he died... and I didn't.

The Hospital

• Where is the boy?

• Son. What's done is done. Come home. Come home. Start again.• You mean just pretend it didn't happen.• That's not what I'm saying.• You didn't even look at her, dad! She died.• Son...• No, no, no! No. No, all you want is your boy.• It's all right.• That's all you want. Isn't it?• You can start again.• Hey, I've got a child. Her name's Paikea.• What?• You heard me.• No. Not that name!• It's Paikea.• No! Porourangi... Porourangi... Porourangi!

• Take her away. I told you to take her away.• No. You acknowledge your granddaughter. She likes you.• He'll have another child.• He just lost a child and a wife. Isn't that enough? You give that boy some time. You

hear me? He'll be back when he's ready. Stupid old Paka. You say the word, and I'll get a divorce, Bub. Just say the word.

• What'd he say to her?• Same old story. Not good enough for him, is she?• He start that early with me?• You're a man. You can handle it. Here. Better get used to it. This one's gonna

need someone to look out for her. • Yeah. All right.

My Koro wished in his heart that I’d never been born...but he changed his mind.

a narrator (n.) = the person who tells a story; a storytellerto narrate (v.) = to tell a storya narrative (n.) = a story

a leader (n.) = someone who shows others what to do; the others follow the leaderto lead (v.)leadership (n.)an ancestor (n.) = the people in your family who were born before you (e.g., your grandfather, or great-grandmother)the firstborn (n.) = the eldest son or daughtera generation (n.) = all of the brothers & sisters, and 1st cousins in your family. a descendant (n.) = the people in your family who are born after you (e.g., your children, your grandchildren, etc.)

a rider (n.) = someone who rides (sits on or in) a moving thing (e.g., a motorcycle, a bicycle, a horse, etc.)to ride (v.)

a chief (n.) = the most important leader

a twin (n.)gladness (n.) = happiness

to pretend (v.) = to imagine something is real

Page 13

The House

• Hey! You old Paka! • Quick!• They were quick. Must have let them off early or something.• You've been smoking.• Says you.• Maori women have got to stop smoking. We've got to protect our childbearing

properties. You coming to the concert?• Might. Bet she's got her best gears all laid out on the bed.• My dad's coming.• Nay? Better get my flash dress out then. How long's he staying this time? Five

minutes?• Longer than that.• That's good, 'cause I blinked and missed him last time.• What time's the concert, Bub?• Seven, and don't be late.• Gee, she's bossy, that one. And you'd have to be smoking in a pretty funny place

to wreck your childbearing properties.

The Concert

• If you ask me the name of this house, I will tell you. It is Whitireia. And the carved figurehead at the top? It is Paikea. It is Paikea.

• No good to you, you reckon?• Shh!

• What are they feeding you?• You look different.• Hmm. You do too. Must be growing up.• Am not.• Sorry I was late.• It doesn't matter. It was stink anyway. • Oh. • Gotta look my best for your brother.• Hey, bro.• Rawiri?• Good to see you, man.• Yeah, put on a bit of weight since I saw you last time.• Yeah.• Hey, this is my new lady. • Kia ora.• Kia ora.• How many of my sons you need, girl? Give us a hand with the food. Make yourself

useful. You too, Pai.• Come on, mate. Let these important guys have their talk, eh?

The Hall

• Take your time. They've been waiting for you. Been a while this time, son.• Been away. Didn't you get any of my postcards?• Your mother put something on the fridge. I don't know what it was. A bridge or

something.• France, probably. I've been spending a bit of time in Germany too.• Like you there, do they?• Some of them do.• So, you've been busy, then?• Yeah. Yeah, it's been good.• You know, I got a gallery interested. Had some good shows. How about you?• We've been all right.• It's good to see you, dad.

to acknowledge (v.) = to recognize & accept someone/something

to divorce (v.) = to legally end a marriage

to handle it (v.) = to be able to do something without too much trouble

to let them off (v.) = to dismiss; students go home from school

to protect (v.) = to take care of someone or something

childbearing (adj.) = the ability to have children

gears (n. sl.) = clothes

flash (adj.) = fashionable

to blink (v.) = to close & open your eyes quickly

bossy (adj.) = to act like a boss; to tell other people what to do

to wreck (v.) = to ruin; to destroy

a figurehead (n.) = a carvingto reckon (v. sl.) = to think about & conclude

stink (adj. sl.) = something is bad (It has a bad smell.)

a mate (n. Br.) = a friend

a postcard (n.)

a fridge (n.) = a refrigerator

Page 14

It was my father's wakaBut after I was born

He didn't want to carve it anymore.He went away.Everybody did.

The House

• Sorry, mum.• You've come a long way. I think you can have a sleep in.• Isn't he having any breakfast?• Septic tank's blocked down at the Marae.• Can't somebody else do it?• Eat your breakfast. You're too skinny. Can't hardly see your bum in those pants.• Thanks, ma.• Thanks, ma.• Your timing's spooky, boy.

The School

• Nerd! Putt-putt-putt!• Ah! What was that for?• For the concert last night. You have more respect next time.• That teacher of yours got herself a husband yet?• Don't think so.• She still got those things on her teeth? • Paka, at school we gotta do a speech on where we come from and that. So anyway,

you know how we all came on a whale? • That's right.• But where does the whale come from?• From Hawaiiki.• Where's that?• It's where we lived before we came here, where the ancestors are.• So, Paikea came from there.• Aye.• How long ago?• Long time.• But how long?• See that there? Look at it closely. What do you see?• Lots of little bits of rope all twisted together.• That's right. Weave together the threads of Paikea so that our line remains

strong. Each one of those threads is one of your ancestors... all joined together and strong... all the way back to that whale of yours. Useless bloody rope. I'll get another one.

• Paka! Paka! It's working! It's working.• I don't want you to do that again. It's dangerous.

The House

• That's a good one.• Come in. A seat for you over there.• Kia ora.• Hi.• Hi. Kia ora.• Have you met Pai's father, Porourangi... this is Miss Parata from the school. • Kia ora.• Kia ora.

a bridge (n.)

a gallery (n.) = a place where artists show their art work

a show (n.) = to show your artwork to others

a waka (n.) = a carved boat

to carve (v.) = to cut a shape from wood using a knife

septic tank (n.) = an underground box that collects the waste from a toilet

skinny (adj.) = very (too) thin

Page 15

• Thought she'd appreciate seeing the show.• No problem. This is some of my work from my last exhibition in Germany.• Start again, from the beginning. She wants to see all of it.• All right.Yeah, like I was saying, uh... oh, sorry.• Who's that, bro?• Anna. It's a woman I've been seeing. Actually, she's pregnant. We're expecting a

child.• Why didn't you tell me?• Congratulations, bro. You always get the good-looking ones.• Where is she? Why don't you bring her?• Uh, she lives in Germany, mum. You know. She wanted to have the child at home.• But you'll bring her back here.• Yeah, of course. Well, um, bit of a visit when baby gets big.• Rawiri, take Miss Parata back to town.• Come with me, Pai.

• When were you gonna tell me? The day you left?• I've been trying to tell you since I got here. Look, dad. It's not forever. It's just it's

Anna's first child, you know? Her work's there, her family.• Family?• Yeah, I can't expect her to move to the other side of the world.• Don't you use that girl as an excuse. You can't wait to get away. I see it in you. You

never stay, because it hurts you to see what's happening to us.• Yeah, it does.• You still walk away from it. Leave that waka of yours out there to rot.• I'm not here shoveling shit. I'm doing my share. Did you even see my work? Did

you... did you even look at it?• You call it work. It's not work. It's souvenirs. Those young men you turn your

back on... they've got something to learn from you. You've got something to offer. Don't you turn away! Yeah, you've got the privileges... but you forget you've also got the obligations!

• Look at me, dad, for once in your life. Go on. Ah, you don't even know who I am.• I know who you're meant to be, who you were born to be.• Oh, yeah, right. But I failed ya, eh, dad? Yeah, because why? I had a daughter? Well,

I'm probably gonna have another daughter. And you know what? I'm not gonna let you treat another child of mine like that.

• Then take her with you! You don't like the job I'm doing, take her! Go on! Take her!

• Stop it!• She's no use to me.• Pai?• No, leave her. I'll get her. Pai!

The Waka

• You all right? Gotta watch that Koro sometimes. Big mouth of his gets away on him, eh?

• He didn't mean it... about me. • Well... you know, maybe we should think about it.• Think about what?• You coming to live with me for a while. What do ya think?• Why doesn't he want me?• Oh, Pai, it's not you. It's not even about you, in a way. Koro is just... he's just

looking for something that doesn't exist anymore. • A new leader? They exist.• Yeah, they do, except I think it's become even more than that. In his head, your

Koro, he needs a prophet.• What's that?• Well, somebody who's gonna lead our people outta the darkness... and who'll make

everything all right again. Only problem is, you can't just decide who those

spooky (adj.) = scary like a ghost

a nerd (n.) = a person who is smart but uncool; usually they have poor social skills

to respect (v.) = to show your admiration of someone or somethingrespect (n.)respectful (adj.)respectfully (adv.)

braces (n.) = wires that are used to straighten teeth

to weave (v.)

a thread (n.) = a thin piece of material for sewingour line (n.) = a family tree

danger (n.) = the chance of harm

dangerous (adj.) = likely to harm people

Page 16

• people are just because you want them to be, eh?• Like my brother?• Yeah. Your Koro made himself believe so strongly that he was gonna be the one.• But what if he was?• And what if he wasn't? You know, your Koro, he did the same thing with me.• Is that why he's so hard on you?• Yep. Pretty much. Because I can't be what he wants, eh?• Me neither.• You think about it, okay? You know you'd make me really happy if you'd come and

stay with me.• Mmm.• Just think about it.

The House

• Ready, Pai?• One more go.• You be good to that girl. That's right. You look.• I'm gonna need all the firstborn boys. It's time they learnt.• Learnt what?• When she was born, that's when things went wrong for us. That's where we'll find

the answer.

The Car

• You all right? • Stop the car. • Pai? What is it, Pai?• Can we go home now?• But why? What is it? What's wrong?• I have to go home.• Why?• I just have to.• I know. It's okay.

The Hall

• There are some discussions about the...• Paka! I'm back.• Not now, Pai.• But I'm back. I'm back.• Anyway... where does that information come from?• It comes from the books.

The School

• You shouldn't be smoking.• Tryin' to give up, aren't I?• How come you didn't go with your dad?• I did.• Hmm. For one day. I would have gone. When my dad gets out, I'm gonna go with

him.• Where?• Wherever. Get outta this dump.• Koro's gonna be pissed off when he sees you smoking.• No, he won't, 'cause he's not coming.

to appreciate (v.) = to be thankful

an exhibition (n.) = an art show

pregnant (adj.) = having a baby

the other side of the world = far away

an excuse (n.) = a reason that you give to say why you did something bad or wrongto make an excuse (v.)

a souvenir (n.) = a gift from your sightseeing

a privilege (n.) = a special advantage given only to a person or group

an obligation (n.) = something you must do because it’s your duty

doesn’t exist = not real

a prophet (n.) = someone who says what will happen in the future

to give up (v.) = to stop doing something before it is finished

to get out (v.) = to get out of prison

a dump (n.) = a terrible place

to piss off (v. sl.) = to annoy or make angry

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• Is so.• No, he's getting the school ready.• What school?• For us fellas, to teach us the old ways and that. Probably gonna be stink. You can

come on the bus if you want.• I'm waiting for Koro.• But he's not coming.• I said, "I'm waiting."

The House

• When you're ready.• When everyone's here, I'll be ready.• They are here. Those boys have waited half an hour.• You tell her you weren't going to pick her up?• She could have come on the bus.• You pick her up every day for years and she's just supposed to guess?• Good. Let's go.• Do the welcome, Bub. Go on.• What do you think you're doing?

• Pai. You're a girl. Go to the back. What did I say? What did I say? Then leave. Go on

The Traditional School

• For you boys, this will be a sacred school of learning. You'll be taught in the old ways... in all the qualities of a chief. You will be tested for your strength... your courage, your intelligence... and your leadership. Paikea's canoe sank... and he called on the ancient ones for strength. You're going to learn that chant. All of you. Learn it exactly. And if you break the chant, you will suffer the utu... the consequences.

• Like what? Someone dying or something?• Like your dick'll drop off. So, hold onto your dicks. Enough. Hold onto your dick.

Now, repeat after me. • The taiaha is an instrument of war... a tool for fighting. If you want to master

it, you've got to show it respect. Hemi. Here. Peh! Pick it up. Good. Be angry. Anger's part of your battle. You gotta learn to control it. Now, take a break. Get a drink of water. The rest of you in pairs.

• Koro know you're doing that?• I'm not doing anything.• How come you're hiding around here then? Koro's cool, eh? He's teaching us to be

warriors, man. Gonna be chiefs. We're gonna smack all those other ones.• You shouldn't have hit Koro like that.• He was all right. He was real patient, eh? How come he won't let you do it?• Girls aren't allowed.• You could sit up the back. Long as you were quiet. I wouldn't mind. You're not

even holding it right. Your hands should be like this. And your feet... like this.• Go back to the school, Hemi. I said, "go." I'll deal with you later.

The House

• I'm sorry, Paka.• You gone deaf now? Somebody just apologized to you.• You don't mess around with sacred things!• She was just watching!

a fella (n. sl.) = a boy/man

the old ways (n.) = traditions

a quality (n.) = the good parts of someone’s character

courage (n.) = willingness to do dangerous things without feeling afraid

intelligence (n.) = the ability to learn and understand things

leadership (n.) = ability to be a leader

a canoe (n.) = a traditional boat which has curved ends & moves by paddling

ancient (adj.) = very old

a chant (n.) = a special kind of song or prayer

an instrument of war (n.) = a weapon

to master (v.) = to become an expert at doing something

a warrior (n.) = a soldier

deaf (adj.) = unable to hear

to mess around (v.) = to fool around / not serious

sacred (adj.) = something that is special because it is related to god

Page 18

• She was using a taiaha. Let the girl do it.• You might be the boss out there... but I'm the boss in this kitchen. I'll do it. • You forgot something. Hey, it's not too bad up here. He's got a lot of rules he has

to live by.• It's not fair.• I know... but sometimes you've just got to let him think that he's the boss.• He is the boss.• Hmph. Not of me. I let him think he is, though.• What's wrong with me, nanny?• Nothing's wrong with you. You hear me? You got the blood of Muriwai in your

veins, girl. Think she'd be proud of you saying things like that? Anyway, that old Paka's not the only one who knows some tricks.

• Eh?• Well, you wouldn't know it now, but before he got fat and ugly... your uncle Rawiri

was a bit of a hotshot with the taiaha.• True?• Won a trophy and everything. Oh, you should have seen him. He was beautiful.• What happened?• I don't know. He was the second son. But he knows some things, your uncle

Rawiri. Don't you worry about that.

Uncle Rawiri

• Is uncle here?• Out the back.• Hi.• Damn, girl. What did I tell you about sneaking up on us?• I found this.• Didn't know you played golf.• Not golf. Taiaha.• Yeah, well, this guy's playing golf.• They cut the end off the golf stick... swing it around, and push it through there.• Hey, shut up! I was good.• That's why you're sitting here... while your father tells a bunch of snotty-nosed

kids how to be chief.• Poor little bastards, huh?• Could you teach me?• Hold up. This was a long time ago.• So? Please?• Does Koro know about this?• No.• Well, let's get it on then, eh?• Yes! • You mean this?• It's a broom, isn't it? • Morning, dad. • Hey! There goes that little girl, Pai!

• Move, girl! Move!• Get him, Pai!• Go, Pai!• Get him, girl!

a vein (n.) = the part of the body that contains blood / It’s “in your veins” means you were born with it. It is from your ancestors.

a trick (n.) = some secrets for winning

a hotshot (n.) = a superstar

a trophy (n.) = a prize

to sneak (v.) = to move quietly so that no one knows you are there / to move secretly

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The Traditional School

• When you extend your tongue... you're saying to your enemies... "I'm gonna eat you. Your eyes will roll back. Your head will be stuck on the end of my stick." Feel the ihi... the power. Make them feel the wehi, the fear. I want the hairs on the backs of their necks to stand up. Take off your shirts. When you slap your chests... I want you to slap them hard. Bleh! Bleh! Scratch them. Make them bleed. Timata. Good, Hemi. Good.

The Hall

• All these ancestors are watching too.• This is my dad.• Come to see your boy?• Yeah.• Good. Hemi, you first.

• Girl! Where's that school?• Over there. • Thought you were gonna stay for the whole thing.• Seen your bit, didn't I? Come meet my mates. This is my boy. • Hey.• Say hello.• Hello.• Better watch out for this one. Did all right in there, eh? See you later.• Tonight?• Next couple of days, maybe. We're outta here. • Get lost, you.• Was that your dad?• Get lost.

• What have you done? Answer me.• It wasn't her fault.• Go wash your face. Answer me, Pai. Do you know what you've done?• No.• You have broken the tapu of this school... on this marae, the one place where our

old ways are upheld. The knowledge that's been passed down from your ancestors... from my grandfather to me, to those boys... It's broken!

• I'm sorry, Paka.• You're not sorry. Right from the beginning, you knew this wasn't for you... but you

keep coming back. Do you want me to fail?• No.• You want these boys to fail? What have you got to say to them?• I'm sorry.• Say it again.• I'm sorry.• Say it like you mean it! Say it!• I'm sorry.

The Bath

• Want me to put some more hot in?• No.• No.You can get sick sitting in a cold bath.• What if he fails, nanny?

to fail (v.) = not to succeed

Page 20

• Then he fails.• What will happen to him?• Nothing will happen... except me thinking about that divorce.• It's not Koro's fault, nanny.• What's not his fault? Sounds like his fault to me.• Not that I'm a girl.

The Boat

• Not you, Hemi. Rawiri.

• You've all done very well. You've shown me that you've got courage, that you're strong... and that you can learn. But there can only be one... so there's one final test... a test of your spirit. If you have the tooth of a whale... you must have the whale's jaw to wield it. One of you will bring that back to me.

• Bubba's got a cold, and I can't swim.• It's all right, man.• Hey.• Give it to me.• I almost had it.

Leaving Home

• Nanny?• Come here. It's not for long.• You can put your clothes in there. And, uh, there's a lamp if you wanna read.

Rawiri reckons you're pretty brainy, eh? Anyway, it's just for a little while.

He was calling to the ancient ones,Asking them to help him...But they weren't listening.

So I tried... and they heard me.

The Boat

• Uncle, is this where Paka lost his reiputa?• His what?• That thing he wore around his neck. He threw it overboard.• Crazy old Paka.• Where?• Just over there.• I'll get it.

It's quiet down deep. Koro needed quiet.

That's what nanny said.He didn't want to talk anymore.

He just wanted to go down and down. • She's been gone quite a while, eh?• Nah, she's sweet.• For Paka's tea. And I found this.

a fault (n.) = a flaw / an imperfection / something that is wrong with someone or something

spirit (n.) = your heart & soul

to wield (v.) = to hold and use a weapon

brainy (adj.) = intelligent or smart

overboard = to go over the side of the boat and into the watrer

sweet (adj.) = okay

Page 21

The House

• Got this for dad's tea.• Lovely. Pop it in the sink. • Pai got it. She got this as well. You gonna tell him?• No. He's not ready yet. • It's for my school concert. You're my guest of honor. So I'll see you there, Paka.

The Concert

• Put mine there.• Come on. I want to get up in the front.• Save this one for Paka.• He might be held up, Bub.• No, he's coming.• Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Now to finish, we have something very special.

One of our students has won, not only our own school speech contest... but the east coast area schools', as well. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Miss Paikea Apirana.

• Did you know about this?• She said she had a surprise... for him.• This speech is a token of my deep love and respect... for Koro Apirana, my

grandfather. My name is Paikea Apirana...• Go on, Bub.• And I come from a long line of chiefs, stretching all the way back to Hawaiiki...

where our ancient ones are... the ones that first heard the land crying and sent a man. His name was also Paikea... and I am his mo... most recent descendant. But I was not the leader my grandfather was expecting... and by being born... I broke the line back to the ancient ones. It wasn't anybody's fault. It just happened. Who is to blame? But we can learn. And if the knowledge is given to everyone, we can have lots of leaders. And soon, everyone will be strong... not just the ones that have been chosen. Because sometimes, even if you're the leader and you need to be strong... you can get tired. Like our ancestor, Paikea, when he was lost at sea... and he couldn't find the land, and he probably wanted to die. But he knew the ancient ones were there for him... so he called out to them to lift him up and give him strength. This is his chant. I dedicate it to my grandfather.

• She all right?• She's asleep.• That old man know she's staying the night?• If he doesn't like it, he can sleep in the road.• Might be time for us to leave, eh, dear?• What is it?• You'd better come have a look.

The Beach

Who is to blame?I called them and they came...

But it wasn't right.They were dying.

• Hey, keep it away from the blowhole, bro.• That's it. Just around the edges.• You okay?

a blowhole (n.) = the hole in the whale’s head that it breathes with

Page 22

He died.Koro knew what it meant.

It was Paikea's whale,Sent to us because we were in trouble.

• Dad?• We've got to turn it around.• How?• Get a tractor down here and some ropes. We'll wait for the tide. If... if we can

move it, the others will follow. Get the men.• They're stuffed. Half of them have been up all night.• They'll do it for you.

It was a test...But for Koro this time.

• Leave it. You've done enough.• Now!• E pana e!• E pana e!

He wanted to die.There wasn't a reason to live anymore.

• It's no use. They're too tired.• We'll try again later. Let them rest.• Come on, dear. We'll come back. Come on.• It's gone!• Where is she? Where's my moko? Where is she? Pai!

It's okay, Paka.I wasn't scared to die.

• Hurry up! Hurry! Let's go!• Which one?• What do you mean, which one?

The Hospital

• Thank you, dear.• I've been praying to god about it. If that little one wakes up, I'm gonna give up

the smokes.• She'd like that.

My name is Paikea Apirana,and I come from a long line of chiefs...

stretching all the way backto the whale rider.I'm not a prophet...

but I know that our peoplewill keep going forward...

all together,with all of our strength.

The End

a tractor (n.)

the tide (n.) = the up & down movement of the ocean because of the moon

stuffed (adj.) = very tired / exhausted

to pray (v.) = to speak to god to give thanks or to ask for help

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CONTRAST

Name __________________________Date __________________________

Name 1

Attribute 1

Attribute 2

Attribute 3

Name 2

Graphic Organizers for Brainstorming and Idea Generation 15


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CHARACTERTRAITS WEB

Character'sappearance

Character's actionsand thoughts

Character'swords

How others reactto the character

Name : __________________________Date : __________________________

Title : __________________________Author : __________________________

Character


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DIRECTIONS: Respond to the following questions in the spaces provided.

THE FIVEWs

What happened?

Who was there?

Why did it happen?

When did it happen?

Where did it happen?

Graphic Organizers for Supporting Reading Comprehension 161

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Setting (include the time and place)

Characters

Problem

Resolution

Plot/events

STORYMAP I

DIRECTIONS: Write down key information for the story elements below.

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Page 58


The Spiritual World of Whale Rider

Directions: As you watch the scenes that your teacher will play for you from Whale Rider, writedown what you learn about Maori traditional beliefs.

Scene 1:

Scene 6:

Scene 10:

H a n d o u t 1 • p . 1

L e s s o n 3 SOCIAL STUDIES (WORLD HISTORY)/LANGUAGE ARTS

Page 59


Scene 14:

Scene 17:

Scene 24:

Scene 26:

H a n d o u t 1 • p . 2

L e s s o n 3 SOCIAL STUDIES (WORLD HISTORY)/LANGUAGE ARTS

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Individual Reflection

1. List 3 qualities that are important in a leader.

a.

b.

c.

2. Are any qualities in your list found only in boys? Only in girls?

3. What are some things in our society that have traditionally been done just by boys or men?Note down two of them here. Next to each one, write a reason why that is; if you don’t knowone, make your best guess why it might be. Does it make sense? Is it fair?

a.

b.

4. What are some things in our society that have traditionally been done just by girls or women?Note down two of them here. Next to each one, write a reason why that is; if you don’t knowone, make your best guess why it might be. Does it make sense? Is it fair?

a.

b.

H a n d o u t 1

L e s s o n 4 L A N G U A G E A R T S / V I S U A L L I T E R A C Y

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Talking Points for _______________(Your character)

Names of your group members:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Work with your group to write “talking points” for your character about each ofthe following issues. In other words, how would your character answer each question?

• Can women and girls be leaders just as well as men and boys?

• Should parents tell children what they can do with their lives?

• Should boys and girls be raised differently?

• Should every boy be raised to be a chief, or only the firstborn?

• Does crying disqualify you from being chief?

H a n d o u t 2 • p . 1


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• Should the Maori try to do everything in the old ways?

• What can young people possibly teach their elders?

• Who is the boss of the family?

• What is the best way to keep the Maori people strong?

• Why have so many Maori people been moving away?

• Who is to blame for the Maori troubles?

• What is your greatest hope for your people? Your greatest fear?

H a n d o u t 2 • p . 2


Page 63


Gender, Tradition, and Change

The kaumatua, or elders of the tribe, are very respected and given authority over all communitymatters. Whether male or female, their role is to teach young people Maori customs such as tradi-tional songs, dances and creation stories in order to ensure that these important cultural elementsare not forgotten. The people of the tribe decide who they consider their kaumatua. If peoplehaven’t remained involved with the community over the years, they typically will not qualify as itis not certain that they have the right traits, knowledge and skills to fulfill this important role. Akaumatua usually has a specialty such as history, storytelling, genealogy, etc. Rangatira (hereditarychiefs) provide the overall leadership for a tribe.

Pai’s grandfather, Koro, has one goal; that is to preserve the tribe’s existence and appoint a rangatirato replace him in time. Even though he loves his granddaughter Pai, Koro’s commitment and loyalty to the teachings of his ancestors prevent him from seeing Pai’s potential as a leader. Koro’sstubbornness won’t allow him to accept this option because a woman has never held this positionin the history of his ancient line.

The author of the novel The Whale Rider, Witi Ihimera, had taken his daughters to a number ofaction films. They repeatedly asked him why in all of those stories the girl was the helpless onewhile the boy was the hero. “So I decided to write a novel in which the girl is the hero, and I finished The Whale Rider in three weeks,” he said.

Questions about Whale Rider:

Carefully observe the relationship between Pai and her grandfather, Koro. How does Koro expresshis love for Pai?

How does Pai demonstrate the leadership skills Koro hopes to find in one of the boys of the tribe?

H a n d o u t 5 • p . 1

L e s s o n 5 F I L M S P E C I F I C C R O S S - C U LT U R A L L E S S O N

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Class Discussion Questions:

Explain why you think Koro excluded Pai from the lessons he gave to the boys about how to be atribal chief.

How do you think this made Pai feel?

Why did Koro so desperately want a male leader to succeed him?

Why does Pai continue to love and respect Koro as he continues to ignore her leadership qualities?

Can you think of other ancient or modern-day cultures that have similar rules regarding lineageand male leadership? Why might this tradition have come about?

Can you remember a time when you felt your special skills or talents were being ignored by someone you love and respect?

H a n d o u t 5 • p . 2

L e s s o n 5 F I L M S P E C I F I C C R O S S - C U LT U R A L L E S S O N

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FACT SHEET – What Is a Whale?Col, Jeananda. Reprinted with permission from Enchanted Learning. http://www.EnchantedLearning.com 1996

Living in the OceanWhales are large, magnificent, intelligent,aquatic mammals. They breathe air throughblowhole(s) into lungs (unlike fish, which

breathe using gills). Whales have sleek, streamlined bodies that move easily through the water. They are theonly mammals, other than manatees (seacows), that livetheir entire lives in the water, and the only mammals that have adapted to life in the open oceans.

H a n d o u t 1 • p . 1

L e s s o n 8 S C I E N C E

Whales breathe air. They are NOT fish.They are mammals that spend their

entire lives in the water.

Like all mammals:• Whales breathe air into lungs.• Whales have hair (although they have a lot less than

land mammals, and have almost none as adults),• Whales are warm-blooded (they maintain a high

body temperature).• Whales have mammary glands with which they

nourish their young.• Whales have a four-chambered heart.

Cetaceans are the group of mammalsthat includes the whales, dolphins,

and porpoises.

SizeThe biggest whale is the blue whale, which grows to be about 94 feet (29 m) long – the height of a 9-storybuilding. These enormous animals eat about 4 tons oftiny krill each day, obtained by filter feeding throughbaleen. Adult blue whales have no predators except man.

The smallest whale is the dwarf sperm whale, which as an adult is only 8.5 feet (2.6 m) long.

The blue whale is the largest animal thathas ever existed on Earth. It is larger than

any of the dinosaurs were. It’s also theloudest animal on Earth.

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H a n d o u t 1 • p . 2


Toothed whales (Odontoceti) – predators that use theirpeg-like teeth to catch fish, squid, and marine mammals,swallowing them whole. They have one blowhole (nostril)and use echolocation to hunt. There are about 66 speciesof toothed whales.

Two Types of CetaceansCetaceans include the whales, dolphins and porpoises. There are over 75 species of Cetaceans.Whales belong to the order Cetacea (from the Greek word “ketos,” which means whale), which isdivided into the following groups:

Whales swim by moving their muscular tails(flukes) up and down. Fish swim by moving their tails left and right.

Baleen whales (Mysticeti) – predators that sieve tiny crustaceans, smallfish, and other tiny organisms from the water with baleen. Baleen is acomb-like structure that filters the baleen whales’ food from the water.Baleen whales are larger than the toothed whales and have 2 blowholes(nostrils). There are 10 species of baleen whales.

Swimming and Other Water ActivitiesWhales have a streamlined shape and almost no hair as adults (it would cause drag while swimming). Killer whales and Shortfin Pilot whales are the fastest, swimming up to 30 miles per hour (48 k/h).

Breaching: Many whales are very acrobatic, even breaching (jumping) highout of the water and then slapping the water as they come back down.Sometimes they twirl around while breaching. Breaching may be purely forplay or may be used to loosen skin parasites or have some social meaning.

Spyhopping: This is another cetacean activity, in which the whale pokes itshead out of the water and turns around, perhaps to take a look around.

Lobtailing: Some whales stick their tail out of the water into the air, swing itaround, and then slap it on the water’s surface; this is called lobtailing. Itmakes a very loud sound. The meaning or purpose of lobtailing is unknown,but may be done as a warning of danger to the rest of the pod.

Logging: Logging is whate a whale does when it lies still at the surface of thewater, resting, with its tail hanging down. While it floats motionless, part ofthe whale’s head, the dorsal fin or parts of the back are exposed at the surface.

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MigrationMany ceteaceans, especially baleen whales, migrate oververy long distances each year. They travel, sometimes ingroups (pods), from cold-water feeding grounds to warm-water breeding grounds.

Social BehaviorCetaceans have very strong social ties. The strongest social ties are between mother and calf. Asocial group of whales is called a pod. Baleen whales travel alone or in small pods. The toothedwhales travel in large, sometimes stable pods. The toothed whales frequently hunt their prey ingroups, migrate together, and share the care of their young.

ReproductionCetaceans give birth to live young, which are nourishedwith milk from their mothers – they don’t lay eggs.Cetaceans breed seasonally, usually in warm tropicalwaters, and females usually have one calf every 1-3 years.The gestation times range from 9 to 18 months. Whalecalves can swim at or soon after birth. Mother whalescare for their young for an extended period of time,usually at least a year, feeding them milk and protectingthem.

Whale SongsComplex whale songs can be heard for miles under the water. The humpback’s song can last for 30 minutes. Baleen whales sing low-frequency songs; toothed whales emit whistles and clicks thatthey use for echolocation. The songs are thought to be used in attracting mates, to keep track ofoffspring, and, for the toothed whales, to locate prey.

H a n d o u t 1 • p . 3


Gray whales make the longest seasonalmigration of any of the whales. They travel

about 12,500 miles each year

Young cetaceans are frequently mottled incolor, camouflaging them from predators.Newborns have a sparse covering of hair,

which they lose as adults.

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Primitive Whales and EvolutionPrimitive whales evolved during the mid-Eocene period, about 50 million years ago. Fossil remainsindicate that whales evolved from hoofed land mammals – perhaps the shore-dwelling, hyena-likeMesonychid that returned, bit by bit, to the sea roughly 50 million years ago.

Another possible step in whale ancestry is the otter-like Ambulocetus, an extinct mammal the sizeof a sea lion, 10 feet (3 m) long and about 650 pounds. Its limbs allowed it to swim and could alsosupport it on land. It had long, powerful jaws with shark-like teeth, a small brain, and a pelvisfused to its backbone (like land-dwelling mammals but unlike whales).

Basilosaurus, a very primitive, extinct whale had a tiny head and pointed snout with teeth, unlikemodern-day whales, which have large heads and a blunter snout. It was about 82 feet (25 m) long.

Endangered WhalesThere are many species of whales that are in danger of going extinct. Most baleen whales (the hugewhales targeted by commercial whalers) are listed as endangered or protected species. These largewhales are filter feeders and are among the largest animals on earth. They have baleen platesinstead of teeth, which are used to filter tiny organisms, like krill and small fish, from the water.They use their tongue to dislodge the food from the baleen and swallow it. Baleen is made of ker-atin, the same protein that our hair and nails are made of. Most other whale species are doing welland are not endangered.

H a n d o u t 1 • p . 4


Classification of CetaceansCetaceans are divided into the following suborders:

Mysticeti (mustached whales) orbaleen whales - blue whales

humpback whales gray whales

bowhead whales minke whales

killer whales or orcas beluga whales Odontoceti (toothed whales) narwhals sperm whales

the beaked whales, dolphins , and porpoises

Whangara, New Zealand

Documents

BCIS: GRADE 11 ENGLISHscallywagsandscoundrels.weebly.com/uploads/9/4/9/0/... · 2020-03-15 · notably in the Maori land wars of the 1860s. British and colonial forces eventually