In the Yukon, Amaluk, a young Eskimo, sets off alone on a quest in order to prove his manhood and earn the right to hunt with the men and marry Sivalu, his sweetheart. While attempting to harpoon a seal, he is set adrift on an ice floe, separated from his dog team and carried to a remote region far from home. When his dogs return to his village without him, Sivalu and Amaluk's grandmother Kala, fearing for his life, hang up a pair of his boots to see if they swing, which is their way to divine whether he is alive or dead. Meanwhile, Amaluk is near death when he is rescued by reindeer herders, who nurse him back to health. After he has recuperated, Amaluk hunts down and kills marauding wolves as a way to repay the debt he owes his rescuers. When he is ready to return to his village, the herders present Amaluk with a kayak and provisions. After many adventures, he is almost home when he encounters the men of his tribe preparing for a whale hunt.