Jude Star recounts the chaos of the Sand Creek Massacre and his escape with his grandmother. They flee on horseback evading death while succumbing to hunger and exhaustion. In a desperate moment, Jude considers killing their horse for food but discovers it has given birth. He eventually encounters Victor Bear Shield who takes them to a Cheyenne camp. He receives his new name and they wander together surviving on stolen goods and wild game. They settle near Fort Reno but are later imprisoned by Richard Henry Pratt.
Learning English and reading the Bible offers comfort since they draw parallels between Cheyenne's beliefs and Christian teachings. Despite their imprisonment, moments of freedom are found on Anastasia Island where they engage in cultural practices and performances for white spectators. However, escape attempts are met with severe consequences, including forced injections and hallucinations.
Returning to Oklahoma, Jude contends with his identity and the changes within himself. He witnesses the devastation of the Buffalo Wars but accepts his life as a Cheyenne in a changing world. Encountering a stash of alcohol leads Jude down a path of heavy drinking.
Meanwhile, Richard Henry Pratt now suffers from physical ailments and bitter reflections on his past. He finds himself disillusioned with the ideals he once held and haunted by the consequences of his actions.
Years later Jude’s son, Charles Star, a former student of Pratt's Carlisle Indian School, navigates his painful memories and struggles. Traumatized by his experiences at the school and haunted by the disappearance of his father, Charles struggles with feelings of abandonment. As he contemplates his future, he is plagued by the sense that something darker lurks beneath the surface of his memories. Despite his attempts to suppress these memories, they continue to resurface leaving him feeling hunted.
In 2018, Charles's descendant, Orvil, is lying in bed after surviving a shooting and finds comfort in online videos of other survivors. He finds disturbing school shooting incidents and questions the purpose of the school design. Orvil struggles with pills addiction, as he feels closer to his deceased mother, Jacquie Red Feather, when he gets high. Though the memories of using his mother's drugs haunt him, he associates getting high with a temporary escape from heaviness. Eventually, he contemplates how to break free from the cycle of addiction.
Orvil’s friend Sean Price navigates the aftermath of his mother's death due to Pick's disease. However, tensions arise as his brother questions Sean's legitimacy within the family due to his adoptive status. Sean wrestles with his identity as he feels discomfort with traditional gender roles. He reflects on his non-binary identity and his struggle to find acceptance within LGBTQAI+ communities. Sean's life takes a turn when he suffers a serious injury during a roller hockey game. He develops a dependency on pain medication.
Meanwhile, Orvil reluctantly attends individual and group sessions with a Native therapist, Dr. Hoffman. The doctor employs unconventional methods like reverse speech therapy and art therapy. He finds some relief in medication though he also recognizes its addictive potential.
Charles’s granddaughter Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield rediscovers a sense of community at the elders' luncheon at the Friendship Center, where she meets Frank Blanket. She returns to the center hoping to see Frank again but encounters Maxine, who knew Opal's mother, Victoria Bear Shield, and has kept a box for Opal all these years. Meanwhile, Opal's grandson Lony believes he has a superpower that saved his brother Orvil's life. Their other brother, Loother, struggles with his shyness because he desires to have a girlfriend.
Opal, battling cancer, struggles with the effects of chemotherapy and the existential weight of her illness. She battles with feelings of emptiness and being stuck in a "Gray Area" between life and death. Meanwhile, Orvil and his friend Sean begin skipping school and indulging in drugs. They watch nature documentaries and security footage while observing Opal's failed attempts to reach Orvil. Eventually, Orvil feels a growing disconnection from Sean and their lifestyle.
Lony observes his brother Orvil's deteriorating mental state, which consists of exhaustion and inner turmoil. Feeling a sense of disconnection, Lony decides to run away to seek freedom or adventure. He ends up at Ocean Beach, where he experiences a mix of fear and exhilaration. Meanwhile, Orvil desires to escape from the heaviness of life. In a moment of desperation, Orvil overdoses and collapses prompting his family to rush to his aid.
Later, Orvil reflects on his journey through addiction and recovery while describing his experiences in a rehabilitation program and the subsequent years of sobriety. He uses running and music as outlets to heal and explore his identity as a Cheyenne Native. He still contends with the absence of his brother Lony, who disappeared after high school.
Lony, in a heartfelt letter addressed to his family, reflects on his journey of leaving home and living outdoors. He describes his struggles with abandonment and the complexities of family dynamics. He acknowledges the pain and challenges they have faced but hopes for a chance to rebuild their relationships.
