The Whangara people believe their presence on the east coast of New Zealand dates back at least a thousand years to a single ancestor, Paikea, who rode to safety on the back of a whale after his canoe capsized. Since then, Whangara leaders, usually the first-born and always male, have been regarded Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand community, believes she is destined to become the next chief. However, her grandpa Koro is obligated by custom to choose a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anybody in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to accomplish her destiny.