The Parakatêjê (Gavião) people of Pará have lost 80% of their population to disease since the 1950s. Kokrenum, the Parakatêjê's charismatic chief, worried about his people's cultural losses, organizes a visit to the Krahô, "relatives" of the Parakatêjê with similar language and traditions. Fifty young Parakatêjê participate in a Krahô festival of singing, body-painting and a long, strenuous relay race