The film depicts daily life in an indigenous community before the Mexican Revolution (1910). A group of white men seeking gold in indigenous lands recruit Julian, a young local, as their guide. After an unsuccessful search, the whites torture him. During his escape, he injures his legs, becomes unable to work, and loses his fiancée Maria. The rivalry between Julian and Felipe, Maria's new suitor, drives the story. We also see indigenous people at work, playing, and performing in traditional costumes, dances, and ceremonies.