The world of Ngāti Toa is rapidly changing with Pākehā settlers claiming land and resources for themselves. Ngāti Toa are becoming divided over the ways in which they challenge other iwi and Pākehā encroaching on their whenua and their mana. Tamihana Te Rauparaha, the writer of our manuscript, grows up and starts to challenge his father’s way of doing things. And Governor Grey comes up with a plan to get Te Rauparaha out of the way, so the government can take more land.