Maïna is the daughter of Chief Mishtenapuu of the Innu tribe. From her father she learned to hunt, which at that time was reserved for men, and from her foster mother she was initiated into the secrets of the healing arts. When her tribe encounters Inuit scouts who have ventured far south from the land of the Eskimos, one tribe member sees this encounter as a threat. He uses it for his own purposes to gain power. During the warlike confrontations, the Inuit kidnap an eleven-year-old boy from Maïna's tribe. Determined to free the boy, the chief's daughter travels after the departing Inuit and herself falls into captivity with the Inuit warrior Natak, who is well-disposed towards her and takes her as his wife in his homeland. In the eternal ice worlds of the north, Maïna is confronted with the unknown customs and mores of an alien culture that demand an important decision from her.