At the turn of the nineteenth century, British naval officer David Buchan arrives in Newfoundland to establish contact with the Beothuk Indians, who are facing extinction. Approaching the area's most influential white settlers, the Peytons, for advice, Buchan learns of their allegiances, deep grudges and family tensions. As his peace missions go awry, and a murder occurs, the delicate web of allegiance, obligation and debt that holds together the Peyton household and the community slowly begins to unravel.