In a remote New Mexico canyon in the 1930s, the unique remains of an ancient civilization were known to very few people. Frijoles Canyon had seen hardly a footprint of man for 600 years, except for a small guest lodge run by a single woman. The isolation suited the people of nearby Cochiti Pueblo very well. The canyon held the remains of their "Anasazi" ancestors and they considered it sacred ground.




To three cranky adolescents heading there for a holiday in 1933, the high desert held no attraction whatsoever. But when a couple of Native Americans from the pueblo take them on explorations of the canyon, the beauty and the history affect each one of them in ways they could not anticipate. So they are horrified when they discover treasure hunters plundering the ancient graves. The three kids finally bond, even if only temporarily, over their mutual desire to try to save the artifacts from being stolen. When they are told that the canyon will soon be transformed into a tourist mecca, all their efforts seem useless. Suddenly they fear that everything they've come to appreciate about the historic ruins will be trampled by careless crowds, and all the gifts of the Old World will be in peril of being swallowed by the modern world.