By 1929, Canada's west, which had been home to generations of M?tis, was taken over by the railroads and new settlers. The M?tis became a forgotten people, relegated to eking out a living as best they could. In , Rose l'Esperance, a M?tis, is determined that her children will have a normal life and an education. Her hopes reside in her daughter Flora, but the harshness of their situation culminates in a devastating and dramatic event.