"The Whale Rider" by Witi Ihimaera.

The Whale Rider - Witi Ihimaera
In the old days, the land and sea with its forests and animals felt a great emptiness, a yearning. They were waiting for the seeding, for the gifting, for the blessing to come.
Suddenly, one day the first of the Ancients were coming in their canoes from their island kingdom beyond the horizon - Hawaiki. After a while, they returned to the east. The land and sea were relieved - they had been found. They still had to wait for a long time until the news was taken back to the place of the Ancients. Then, one day, the first sighting was made: something was comin…