Sacred Ground

Matt Colter, a mountain man, travels the Great Divide with his Native bride Little Doe. They cross paths with a Paiute party and are watched by Wannetta. Ostracized by both white and Native communities, they are forced to leave their former lives and search for a new home.

Seeking safety, they reach a trading post where the owner warns them about Paiute country. He urges caution as they continue their journey. With the warning, they press onward into dangerous territory.

After crossing a river they discover the ruins of a cabin and decide to rebuild it. They make this shelter their home in the wilderness. The act marks a tentative settlement for their fragile family.

As seasons pass, Matt affectionately pats Little Doe's belly, for she is pregnant. Little Doe reveals that bones found near their shelter are Paiute burial ground remains, and that spirits surround her and their unborn child. The risk of desecration hangs over their growing family.

A Paiute party arrives and calls on Matt; communication fails due to language barriers. Inside the cabin, Little Doe goes into labor, adding urgency to the tense moment. The threat of attack hangs overhead.

The Paiutes attack and destroy the cabin with Little Doe inside. Matt pulls her from the wreck and carries her to the river as warriors look on. On the burial ground, Paiute women lay the dead on scaffolds and sing, while Matt and Little Doe's newborn begins to cry.

Matt leaves with his newborn and meets a lone mountain man who urges him to feed the child. The man’s harsh pragmatism clashes with Matt’s resolve to protect his son. Together, they press on through the unforgiving frontier.

Wannetta has recently had a child, but it dies. Matt and the reckless mountain man kidnap Wannetta to use as a wet nurse, and she bonds with the baby while nursing him in the harsh wild. The arrangement underscores the frontier’s moral complexity.

The Paiute war party signals Wannetta to kill the mountain man's horse so they will be forced to travel on foot. She refuses, showing defiance, but is eventually kidnapped by the Paiute war party. Her fate becomes entwined with the tribe's volatile politics.

Wannetta is banished from the Paiute tribe for disobedience, stripped of her furs, and told to leave. The community erupts in scorn as rocks are hurled and voices rise in anger. Her isolation marks a painful turn in the frontier saga.

Determined to find his son, Colter seeks help from his friend, the seasoned mountain man Lum Witcher. The plan hinges on gathering allies and following leads through the backcountry. A new search party begins to take shape.

With Lum Witcher by his side, Colter commits to locating his son despite the dangers. The narrative closes on a note of perseverance and uncertain hope as the frontier endurance road stretches ahead. His voyage to reunite with his child is only beginning.