Chronicle of a starving Eskimo family's journey to and subsequent ten-year stay on an island rich in food where they are the only human inhabitants. Illustrated by original Eskimo sketches.

Describes the life of Tom McLeod, a Gwich'in and Inuvialuit Indian living in the Northwest Territories, focusing on how he and his family maintain the cultural heritage of his peoples.

In 1897, six Eskimos arrived in New York City, brought as the "exotic cargo" of explorer Robert Peary from Greenland. The youngest of the group was 7-year-old Minik, who struggled to create a home and identity thousands of miles from his native land.