Crooked Earth plot
Captain Will Bastion returns to his people, the Maoris of Ngati Kapuka, to bury his father, the chieftain. Will, unfairly discharged from the military, will have to take charge of his people. The symbol of his authority is a ceremonial mace. He doesn't like it and soon finds himself in conflict with his younger rebellious brother, Kahu. Things get even worse when Will's 17-year-old daughter Ripeka also shows up at the funeral. When Kahu, mounted on a white stallion, and his supporters disrupt the funeral to claim the mace, the brothers become embroiled in a battle that will determine the tribe's future.