Summary

The people on the island of Makatea believe that the god Ta’aroa made the earth and sky. When artists emerged, they made other gods including Tāne. Tāne and the artists filled the “land, air, and sea” with many creatures (2). The artists kept creating, but the universe “belonged to Ta’aroa” (3).

After Todd Keane is diagnosed with dementia he begins remembering. He remembers a night he and his friends Rafi Young and Ina Aroita went to see The Tempest.

Ina lives on Makatea with her husband Rafi and two adopted children Hariti and Afa. One day, she and Hariti take a walk on the beach and discover a dead albatross filled with plastic pieces. They collect the plastic, bury the bird, perform a ceremony, and walk home. Ina later realizes she could use the plastic scraps to make something. That night...