In the 1870's, the Sioux and Cheyenne still freely roamed the western plains of their ancestors. But white Americans kept encroaching on their lands, demanding that the Indians be confined to reservations. Painted Horse re-counts what happened to the Native Americans, leading up to and after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, through the eyes of Lakota chief Painted Horse. For the family of Painted Horse, reservation life would mean living under the brutal conditions on Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. Little Bighorn was a great victory for the Lakota and the Cheyenne but marked the beginning of the end of their way of living. US Generals Miles and Crook pursued them relentlessly through the end of summer and into the bitter winter. Eventually, all Indians would be forced by the Army onto reservations. Painted Horse and his family vowed never to return to Pine Ridge. So, when Painted Horse offered an alternate plan, they set off on a dangerous journey to Wyoming. Will the small tribe be able to escape the Army and find peace and freedom?