Keeping the Promise

Matt and his father begin a wooden cabin in Maine as they prepare for their family's arrival. The father travels back to Quincy, Massachusetts to fetch Matt's mother, sister, and newborn, promising to return in seven weeks. Matt is left alone with his father's old watch and a hunting rifle, charged with guarding the homestead and fields.

A thief named Ben Loomis steals Matt's rifle. Matt chases after him, trips, and falls into a river, leaving him unconscious. He is rescued by Indigenous people who save his life and tend to his injuries.

Matt's injured leg is treated by Chief Saknis. While recovering, Saknis takes Matt's book, Robinson Crusoe, to save his life and later returns it. Saknis explains that the land has been won by the words of the white man, and he requests Matt teach his grandson to read.

Saknis returns the book and asks Matt to consider whether a knife or a book would win in a fight. Matt concedes that a knife would win in a direct contest, while Saknis counters that the words of the white man have already won the land. Out of obligation, Matt agrees to teach Attean to read.

Matt reluctantly agrees to teach Attean to read, feeling obligated for saving his life. He begins an unlikely cross-cultural effort to educate the Native boy and to bridge two worlds through language.

Back home, Matt's father returns to his family only to discover a fever has struck the village. The fever claims the neighbor's daughter, and the family decides to leave quickly to avoid further spread. The threat reshapes their plans and pushes their departure toward the boat.

On their way back, the newborn and mother fall ill and the family cannot take the last crossing before winter. They are forced to turn back and travel the land route instead, delaying their reunion. The mother recovers, but the baby dies during the journey.

Despite the tensions of separation, Matt and Attean forge a strong friendship as they navigate hardship together. Attean later invites Matt to join his tribe and move west to new hunting grounds, testing Matt's loyalty and courage.

Matt faces a difficult choice between joining Attean's tribe or staying to wait for his family. The decision weighs on him as he values both the friendship he's found and the promise he made to his father.

Attean goes on a vision quest and becomes a brave; he visits Matt and gives him a pair of snowshoes for the winter, asking him to come with the tribe. The moment marks a rite of passage for Attean and a poignant cross-cultural exchange.

Matt decides to wait for his family and parts from Attean. They trade gifts as a final gesture: Matt gives Attean the Robinson Crusoe book, while Attean leaves his dog behind with Matt.

Matt's family returns in the winter, guided for the last stretch by Ben Loomis, who mysteriously disappears once the reunion is complete. The homecoming solidifies Matt's ties to both his heritage and the new friendship he formed with Attean.