Massacre

Joe Thunderhorse, star of a wild west show at the Century of Progress in Chicago, is treated as a spectacle by white showmen who commodify his Native identity. His rich white girlfriend flaunts him in front of curious friends, underscoring how his culture is used for entertainment rather than respected.

When Joe learns his father Black Pony is on his death bed, he travels with his African American valet Sam to the Stone Eagle Reservation. He hopes to reconnect with his Native roots, but the encounter is shadowed by government intrusions and the uneasy 'Indian Problem' talk from Quissenberry.

Joe's father dies without recognizing him. He confronts Doc Turner, the government doctor who has never visited, and Turner pulls a gun on Joe. Joe knocks Turner out and disrupts a publicity stunt featuring Chief Black Star.

Joe disrupts the film footage of Chief Black Star’s promotion, threatening the white handlers and ending the stunt. The act makes clear Joe's willingness to challenge exploitation of Native people for profit.

Back on the reservation, Joe's father dies and he refuses a white Reverend's burial. He sends his brother Adam to arrange a Native funerary rite, asserting Native sovereignty in death.

Jennie, Joe's 15-year-old sister, is abducted and raped by Thomas Shanks, an undertaker and a white government agent. Joe discovers her distress and pursues Shanks in a high-speed car chase, lassos him, and drags him down the dirt road. That night the community performs a traditional funerary ceremony.

The next morning Quissenberry warns about Joe’s violent 'pagan' behavior and orders his arrest. A staged trial with a sham defense leads to Joe pleading guilty, and he is heavily fined and jailed.

Lydia, a college-educated Native woman, helps Joe escape from jail. He then travels to Washington, D.C. to meet the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and press for Native rights.

In Washington, Joe confronts Commissioner J.R. Dickinson and discusses land, water power, oil rights, and the government's failure to protect Native communities. The dialogue reveals a moral clash over sovereignty and the treatment of Indigenous peoples.

Back home, Joe is arrested for Shanks' murder, and Quissenberry has Jennie kidnapped to prevent testimony. This underscores the government’s ongoing manipulation of the case.

Fearing Joe's execution, Native men break Joe out of jail by storming the courthouse and burning it down. Joe pleads with the crowd to avoid another massacre.

The mob tracks Jennie down by beating White Feather, a Native policeman, and they discover that White Feather has abused Jennie. The revelation exposes corruption within Native law enforcement aligned with government interference.

When government agents arrive, Quissenberry shoots Joe unprovoked. He and White Feather are arrested, and Joe is ultimately acquitted; Doc Turner and Quissenberry are removed from office.

Joe is revealed to have survived the gunshot. He reunites with Lydia on the rocks and accepts a job in the Indian Service at Stone Eagle Reservation, signaling a renewed commitment to Native affairs.