If he had attended, he would have seen Kahu lead a traditional ceremony and give a speech in the Maori language. Koro Apirana’s ignorance is further displayed when he refuses to attend Kahu’s break-out ceremony. For example, she effortlessly fetches a carved stone cast into the water. While the boys struggle to complete the tasks Koro Apirana sets out before them, Kahu completes them with ease. Kahu routinely sneaks into Maori culture lessons, which angers her grandfather. In Koro Apirana’s mind, women cannot be chief, and he attempts to preserve tradition throughout the novel. Koro Apirana becomes obsessed with locating a male heir to become chief, neglecting Kahu.

The Maori tribe traditionally traces the lineage of Kahutia Te Rangi through his male descendants, yet Kahu disrupts this lineage as the eldest granddaughter. The narrator of the modern sections of the novel is Rawiri, Kahu’s uncle. One spear is cast into the future and eventually incarnated in Kahu, the novel’s protagonist.

He is the first whale rider who uses spears to create life on the island, which he later names Whangara. This story specifically addresses the life of Kahutia Te Rangi, the ancestor of the Maori tribe. The sea is discovered by the ancients who live in complete oneness with the gods and nature. The novel begins with the legend of the Maori tribe.

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera