Trouble is brewing among the "Kira Kirish," a tribe of Native Americans near Dodge City. The Chief, White Buffalo, is old and in poor health. His grandson and designated successor, John Eagle Wing, despises Thomas Evans, the appointed Police Chief in charge of the reservation where the Native Americans are forced to live.
Evans does what he thinks is best for the people living on the reservation. He is a well-meaning, wrong-headed dictator who has a chip on his shoulder due to a massacre at Buffalo Wells fifteen years earlier in which his father was killed. He forbids the people in his charge from possessing guns thinking this will maintain peace, and he forces the people to rely on goods they can purchase at the General Store at Fort Dodge. John Eagle Wing, as the heir to the true leadership of the people, naturally resents the heavy-handed approach Evans employs.
Evans has placed a few of the men from the tribe in positions of enforcement at the reservation. There is a man named Mako who has ambitions of his own and enjoys the power of his position a bit too much.
Matt Dillon is a long-time, trusted friend of White Buffalo. The Marshal fears an uprising is brewing among the indigenous people led by John Eagle Wing and tries to warn Evans to listen to the people and be more respectful of their opinions. However, Marshal Dillon has no authority on the reservation, and Evans views Dillon as an unwanted intruder.
When Evans uses his heavy-handed methods with Marshal Dillon and John Eagle Wing, an incident results, and the pair are charged with murder due to circumstantial evidence and deceit on the part of Mako.
Gene Evans played many diverse types of characters in his ten appearances on Gunsmoke, and every performance is unique and memorable. Here he plays Thomas Evans. Gene Evans often played extremely rough, tough characters, such as his Clint Sorils character in the earlier Season 13 episode, "A Hat." His portrayal of Thomas Evans in this story is more subtle and even-handed.
Todd Armstrong plays the part of John Eagle Wing. Armstrong was best known for playing the part of Jason in the film Jason and the Argonauts.
Jack Elam is William Prange. Prange is sent to Dodge City to investigate the allegations against Marshal Dillon. This is an unusually subdued part for Elam.
James Almanzar fills the role of the ambitious, sinister Sergeant Mako. Eddie Little Sky, who was often seen in Native American roles, appears as one of the reservation policemen.
This story offers a different view of relations with "The First People" than is often portrayed in classic films and television. Dealing with this type of subject matter in 21st Century is quite different than it would have been in 1967. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining episode well worth watching.