The year is 1953 and the setting is the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota. The novel tells the story of a network of people connected to the Turtle Mountain reservation, their fight against termination, and their daily interconnected lives. Thomas Wazhashk is the hardworking and loyal night watchman of a jewel factory. He is also a husband and father. He learns about a new bill in Congress that would terminate federal recognition of all Indian tribes, and would entail the end of all government services and forced relocation to new lands. He gathers together other tribal elders to understand and disseminate awareness of the bill, eventually organizing a delegation to travel to Washington D.C. to protest the bill, which is promoted by a Utah Senator and Mormon named Arthur V. Watkins.
Thomas has a beautiful niece by the name of Patrice who works at the same factory as a dayworker. Her father is an alcoholic and has neglected all family responsibilities, forcing Patrice to work hard so as to support her brother and mother, Zhaanat. Vera is Patrice’s sister, who is believed to be living in Minneapolis. However, her family members have not heard of her since she vanished. She is alleged to have had a small baby before leaving for Minneapolis. Patrice is disturbed by her disappearance and decides to take days off from her work to travel to Twin Cities to find her, where she discovers a harsh and sinister urban world. Along the way, she also navigates new developments in her friendships and potential lovers.
The novel unfolds in a layered, plural, and episodic fashion where each meaning is only gradually revealed at the intersection of multiple stories. The result is a vast tapestry rich with fully realized characters and their human drama that courses through the historical event in which they are living.
