Newly Born

In the land of whales,
where the land and sea felt great emptiness,
came a little child with great happiness,
making people go off the rails.

Blessings, blessings everywhere!
but for who?
a boy new?
why not a girl to care?

The phone rings to conform the news
A girl to welcome in our house
as sweet as a mickey mouse.
nothing in mind for an excuse.

Grandpa picks up the phone,
"A girl" he says disgusted,
no one to be anymore trusted.
Doesn't want to accept the granddaughter of his own.

"I will have nothing to do with her"
going out to prefer.
"You and the boys got a beautiful niece"
Grandma says with peace.

But what a lucky girl she was,
got a name of the tribe founder that was.
But her luck sank slowly,
as her mother died, left her lonely.

Didn't get the love of mother nor of her grandfather,
but still were her uncles her watcher.
"Nani flowers taught me a lot,
keeping me with as her ought."

She brought warmth and love,
to be a part she had to shove.
It's the first family reunion, 
but for some was Kahu a spicy onion.

Yes, Kahu was her name,
shame for the family as it broke the boy trend,
only her grandpa thought she was a shame.
it wasn't that easy to end.

She would do anything to get his attention,
but he would ignore saying "that's kid's in hunger".
"She's hungry for you" Nani Flowers mentioned
 But he runs away with anger.

No matter what Karu does,
there's something bad that the grandpa could find!
What's all that buzz?
what's going on in her mind?

She wants to be a part of the meetings
in the village that happens
All her uncle (boys) welcomed with greetings,
but she to return making everyone sadden.

This is from the book called "The Whale Rider" by Witi Ihimaera. I have read one third of the book by now and it's already so interesting. So I decided to make a poem and show or summarize what I have read till now. I am really excited to read on in the book. It's really sounding like a great book.

Questions in our Mind!

Have you ever wondered how our culture and tradition changes?

Only these from the past have shaped us and our world today that we only get to know from the stories of the past! The tales that has been passed through many generations tell us how our world became like it is today and how the changes have occurred.

One of the tradition that still is followed in some places today is the transition of a boy from childhood into manhood. Like in the book "Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear" told by Joseph Bruchac.

But there are many questions that come to the mind as we read this book.

What happens to the girls in Native America? Is there any customs or traditions that the girls need to follow?

There were no females except for mothers and grandmothers. There were no girls or sisters.

Were there any sisters or girls in those days?

Is there still some signs of the Abenaki Indian Heritage?
Are there any girls in the Abenaki Indian Heritage if there are still any signs of it and if people still follow it?

All the stories are about our nature like the stars and animals like salmon and whales. They also show some different characteristics of people like how people can be the odd one out. Some tales also indicate how sometimes there are no differences between people no matter how they look or where they come from.

Is there still anywhere in the world that shows that things like stars, or animals speak to humans?

Many tales show how intelligent and smart people can be. Like how in the tales boys fight with their enemies.

In the tale of Salmon boy, the boy disrespected the food he got and then he became a salmon as his punishment.

Are there people who had the same thing happened to them?

There are many people in the world who disrespect other people and other things.
Do they always get punishments?

But on the other hand, the other story/tale teaches us how to respect animals that people hunt and how they hunt with respect to the animals.

Do people respect animals as they go hunting because many people in the world kill/hunt animals?

Are all of the tales or stories told in this book by Joseph Bruchac true?

Do many people like reading books like this about the stories or tales from the past that teach us how our world was made the way it is or looks like right now?

The identity of the boys were really explored in this book and what makes their identity but there was no reference to the girls.

Was it always like that in many old cultures that girls weren't as much preferred and respected as the boys were?