Dances with wolves Epic in scope, this is the version of the film that includes never-before-seen footage. Dances with Wolves is the story of a Civil War hero who travels west where he is assigned to an abandoned fort. His nearest neighbors are members of a Sioux tribe, and they gradually become friends. He marries a tribe woman and ultimately must make a decision about the tribe and their life when he realizes what their fate will be at the hands of the white man.