Clem Blue Chest, broken by the loss of his daughter, is uplifted by a vision he receives on a highway one summer night in 1990. Further guided by what is revealed to him in an unusual sun dance, Clem leads his reservation neighbors to regain their most sacred ground, the Black Hills of South Dakota. Confronting missionaries, ranchers, and federal agents, he pushes on into the sacred territory once guaranteed in perpetuity to his people. His quest culminates in a dramatic standoff on Mount Rushmore.