<p>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.&nbsp;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.</p><p><br></p>