Sixteen-year-old Native American "city girl" Lia, is sent to spend the summer with her grandmother in a small community in Canada's breathtaking Northwest Territories. Desperate to return home she steals a boat and becomes lost in the vast wilderness where she is discovered by Alfred, a Gwich'in hunter. Reluctantly taking her under his wing, their unexpected friendship develops and both will be tested when Alfred is severely wounded in a bear attack and Lia fights to save their lives.