It is the year 1877; a year has passed since the Battle of Little Bighorn. The great struggle for freedom of the Dakota has come to an end. Once brave warriors and free hunters, the Dakota now lead a miserable existence on the reservation. The Bear Band has been assigned a barren stretch of land. However, Tokei-ihto, miraculously escaping from prison alive, refuses to let hunger and alcohol, deceit and betrayal further decimate his tribe. In a daring move, he leads the Bear Band northward, towards the Canadian border. But Red Fox and his men are hot on the Indians' trail and determined to kill Tokei-ihto. The book includes an appendix with the concluding remarks and detailed historical notes by the author from the first edition of 1951, as well as an afterword by Erik Lorenz.