In the twilight of a Native American empire, two Ioway brothers travel to Washington, D.C., in 1824 to meet with Superintendent of Indian Affairs William Clark. Both sign a treaty ceding a large portion of tribal land for settlement.
White Cloud sees cooperation as the only way for his people to survive, while Great Walker regrets the loss of land where his ancestors are buried. More territory is lost, and the Ioway people are divided, with some regarding one brother as a traitor, and the other as a patriot.
After the tribe is removed, the 36 million acres they once called home is named "Iowa". Then, they are forgotten. "Lost Nation: The Ioway" tells the dramatic true tale of two brothers' struggle to save their people from inevitable American conquest, and the Ioway's current fight to reclaim and maintain their unique history and culture.