After an injury sidelines her dreams of becoming a ballet star, Maisie is not excited for her blended family's midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.

In a traditional Coast Salish story, a young girl is taught by a cedar tree to make a basket from its roots. After many tries, the basket is able to hold water. And then, following tradition, the girl gifts the basket to the oldest woman in the village.