The Sons of Great Bear

In 1874, the U.S. government encroaches on Lakota lands. Mattotaupa, an Oglala Lakota man, gambles with Red Fox in a saloon, and Red Fox demands to know the origin of his gold. Mattotaupa refuses, and Red Fox murders him. Tokei-ihto, a young warrior, witnesses the murder and the bond of trust between Lakota and outsiders is broken.

Two years after the murder, Tokei-ihto is the Bear Band’s war chieftain and one of Crazy Horse’s commanders in the Great Sioux War. He leads a raid on a U.S. Army resupply column, demonstrating his growing power and resolve. He also brings the commander's daughter, Katie Smith, to her father unharmed, signaling a potential path to peace.

Tokei-ihto escorts Katie Smith to her father, Major Smith, unharmed and asks for peace. Major Smith rejects the idea of peace with the Lakota on those terms. The gesture raises hopes and tensions as negotiations loom.

One of Major Smith’s officers tries to shoot Tokei-ihto, who then surprises the soldiers and single-handedly destroys their munitions depot. The Lakota victory is hollowed by the enemy’s determination to suppress them. The event hardens the resolve on both sides.

Red Fox arrives with a peace treaty, attempting to split the Lakota from their homeland. Tokei-ihto is sent to negotiate, but Major Smith’s demands overwhelm the process. The negotiation sets the stage for future stalemate.

Major Smith demands that the Lakota settle on a reservation. When Tokei-ihto rejects the offer, he is imprisoned. The Bear Band is brutally forced to resettle, marking a dark turning point for the tribe.

After several months, the war ends. Red Fox enters Tokei-ihto’s cell, trying to force him to reveal the gold mine’s location. Katie Smith and her friend Adams intervene and stop him. They urge that, after release, he should take his people to Canada, and the chieftain accepts the government’s terms, returning to the reservation.

Tokei-ihto visits the sacred caves of the Great She-Bear, the Band’s Totem and the gold’s source, to seek the blessing of the spirits for departure. The journey anchors the tribe’s spiritual ties to the land even as their future hangs in the balance.

Red Fox’s henchman Pitt pursues Tokei-ihto and fatally wounds a bear as it defends its cub. The bear dies, but the chieftain finds the cub, symbolizing a new start for the Bear Band.

The Bear Band leaves the sacred place and raids an army column, drawing General George Crook into a manhunt. Crook offers a $200 reward for the chieftain’s head, raising the stakes for the pursuit.

Red Fox gathers a large force of ruffians and closes in as the Lakota cross the Missouri River. The chase tightens the noose around Tokei-ihto's people as they seek a safe passage to a new home.

Red Fox proposes letting the Lakota move on if Tokei-ihto stays behind. He agrees to sacrifice his own safety for their escape. After a prolonged fight, Tokei-ihto kills Red Fox, and the Bear Band finds refuge on the opposite bank.