James Krippendorf, a sad anthropologist who was just widowed, had to offer hard evidence of the existence of a New Guinea tribe that has not been identified up until this point. He did this after wasting his grant money. His three troublesome children are transformed into members of the Shelmikedmu, a primitive civilization whose customs fascinate academics, with the use of grass skirts, makeup, and staged rituals. But when a vindictive adversary threatens to expose Krippendorf's deceit, he joins in on the deception himself.