Onthe east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe theirpresence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor,Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore onthe back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always thefirst-born, always male, have been considered Paikeas directdescendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealandtribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfatherKoro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro morethan anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years oftradition to fulfill her destiny.