In 1950, as "progress" becomes another name for "greed," a sixteen year old boy learns from the people surrounding him. He and Urs, a bear-like man, live in a shabby cabin on the Nawaakamig River, existing happily on other people's trash and on the carp which pollute the water. Urs's land is coveted by a developer, setting off a chain of painful, tragic events, which overtake unlucky people, including the hobos who spend summers with Urs. The boy bounces from the humble cabin to the local elite family to an Ojibwa community, using what he learns from each situation to find his self and settle a score.