In Montana's Madison Valley, Sheriff Martha Ettinger and her deputy investigate a horrific scene at the Palisades cliffs: a herd of bison fallen to their deaths, an Indian man among them. Farther up the valley, fly fisherman-detective Sean Stranahan is hired to find a Chippewa Cree woman's old flame -- a search that leads him right to the brink of the buffalo jump.

Named for the Ojibwe word for little bear, Makoons and his twin, Chickadee, have traveled with their family to the Great Plains of 1860s Dakota Territory. There they must learn to become buffalo hunters and once again help their people make a home in a new land. But Makoons has had a vision that foretells great challenges -- challenges that his family may not be able to overcome. (Based on the author's own family history.)