Reviews (1)

A page of history no one wants to see
When most kids skip school they don't get shipped off to a Residential School where they are treated less than human and have to learn quickly to get a long. From the opening sentence you are hooked as the boys armed with slingshots decide not to waste the day in school but go hunting instead. Trouble brews and soon the Indian agent shows up to take little Basil away to Spanish - a small town on the North Shore north of Manitoulin Island. The only problem is the Indian agent - (heartless white men who loved to play God) wanted a "pay" load and up and took the five year old sister of Basil too. Nobody got to say yes or no it was a done deal.To say this book is all serious - well it isn't. Humour comes through again and again these are surviors here people - not victims. Basil was gratefull for the education he got and where it lead him but the out come always depends on the person. What would challenge one person who drive someone else to the edge and over it. The boys rise to the challenge of chicken farming at the school - collecting eggs they'll never get to eat. A page turner for sure, take a closer look at Canada's dirty little secert that is just now being dealt with in court. A follow up list is in the back of the book to tell you what happened to these boys. Excellent read not to be missed ... Read more

Book Description

The title of artist, writer, and rebel Emily Carr's first book means "Laughing One," the nickname given her by the Native people of Canada's west coast. She returned the favor with Klee Wyck, a collection of 21 "word portraits" of their lives and ways. The memoir describes in witty, vivid detail Carr's visits and travels as she painted their totem poles and villages and got to know a people whose "quiet strength healed my heart." The book is reissued here with restored text and features the original introduction by Ira Dilworth and a new introduction by Carr scholar Kathryn Bridge. ... Read more

Book Description

Though immortalized by Samuel Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," few people know that eighteenth-century British adventurer Samuel Hearne became the first European to see the Arctic Ocean while standing on America's northernmost shore. In Ancient Mariner, McGoogan demonstrates that Hearne was far more complex, accomplished, and influential than history has shown. A Royal Navy midshipman during the Seven Years' War, Hearne moved to London, and in 1766, just twenty-one, joined the Hudson's Bay Company. He embarked on an overland quest for rich veins of copper supposedly located "far to the northward where the sun don't set"-and also to discover the Northwest Passage. Hearne's posthumously published journal, the first book by a European explorer on the Arctic, describes a journey of 3,500 miles marked by hardship, and mitigated only by his friendship with the legendary Dene leader Matonabbee. His epic adventure culminated in the infamous and still-controversial massacre at "Bloody Falls"-a murderous battle between two native tribes that changed him forever. In a fascinating example of literary detective work, McGoogan determines that, having returned to London to live out his final days, Hearne met Samuel Taylor Coleridge, inspiring the poet to write "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A stroll in the woods
Exploration stories often focus on the tropics. David Livingstone, Albert Russel Wallace, Richard Burton and others are readily recalled. The polar quests of Amundsen, Cook, Peary and Byrd probably follow in popularity. The upper latitudes seem almost overlooked. With little land mass approaching Antarctica and its pole, Canada and Russia are left for investigation by the enquiring mind. Having offered the life of one such wanderer in John Rae, McGoogan now reaches further back in time and place to reveal the life of Samuel Hearne. It's a fine study of a dedicated man.

McGoogan's lively narrative traces Hearne's Royal Navy career, then follows him to the Hudson's Bay Company [HBC] station of Prince of Wales Fort. With the Canadian Arctic still a terra incognita, various quests were under consideration - the Northwest Passage and/or an inland sea leading to Asia being prime contenders. A more specific ambition arose with indications of a vast copper resource near the Arctic Sea. Hearne pursued this rumour by trekking across the Canadian tundra to find it. Various interludes occurred along the way.

Hearne's expeditions to the Arctic seem pre-ordained to failure. Having but a hazy notion of what confronted him wasn't a hindrance. Bureaucracy proved the more serious impediment. The British attitude toward indigenous peoples compounded faulty notions of requirements for such a trip. With no idea of how Native Peoples' societies were structured, British HBC agents blundered into one crisis after another. In today's world, for a man to suggest that women must accompany the expedition to perform specialised tasks would bring down the wrath of the Human Rights Commission. In the 18th Century rise of the HBC in Canada women performed essential roles. No Native Peoples' women meant no Native Peoples' men. No men, no expedition. McGoogan explains all these circumstances without apology or condemnation. It's a professional historian's approach, worthy of full praise.

The other aspect of British imperialism's shortsighted view is the relationships among Canada's Native Peoples. Hearne and others would counsel peace to those who had been warring when the British still painted themselves blue. These animosities were not easily quelled and might break out without warning nor discernible reason. Hearne was confronted with this near the mouth of the Coppermine River. McGoogan, relying on Hearne's own account, describes the massacre of an Inuit settlement leading to the naming of "Bloody Falls". The event remained fixed in Hearne's memory for the remainder of his life.

Hearne, seeking an ephemeral copper lode, traversed immense stretches of the Canadian North. With various teams, but particularly relying on a Dene negotiator, Matonabbee, Hearne viewed the Arctic Ocean, the first European to reach it overland. The copper wasn't there, nor, in Hearne's opinion, was there any possibility of a Northwest Passage. He saw the Great Slave Lake, but when he later reported on his journey, skeptics were confounded by how far west it lay. Canada's vastness overwhelmed chair-bounded geographers. Hearne wasn't simply seeking mineral wealth. He recorded copious observations on plant and animal life in the region, as well as collecting information on the native peoples. More than just an adventurer, Hearne is credited by McGoogan as being one of earliest naturalists.

Hearne's return to England was less than satisfactory. An account of his travels netted him not a penny - he died before publication. One event, a likely meeting with Coleridge at a boy's school, may have led Hearne to become the source of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. While the notion is McGoogan's speculative idea, it's plausible enough to be valid. It certainly provided a good, if unexpected, title for the life of an Arctic explorer. McGoogan presents that life vividly, with only minor, forgiveable, embellishments. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] ... Read more

Book Description

The powerful, major book, acclaimed across Canada, from the great-great-granddaughter of Chief Big Bear and Rudy Wiebe, twice winner of the Governor General's Award for Fiction. A story of justice and social injustices, of murder and morality, and of finding spiritual strength in events that might break us, told with redeeming compassion and poetic eloquence. Stolen Life is a raw, honest, and beautifully written account of the troubled society we live in, and a deeply moving affirmation of spiritual healing.

Reviews (5)

Scary, heartbreaking, shocking
I just finished the book about Yvonne and her hardships. I read it in Norwegian, but that did not diminish the affect it had on me. It's unbelievable what some people have to go through, without anyone doing something about it. And then actually surviving it all, amazing!
She said it herself in the book that people who have been through hard experiences easier can understand what others have to struggle with. And being as she is a Medicine Woman it is in her blood to try and help, wherever possible.
It is also a startling report on how the Natives are still treated in both America and Canada. One can only hope that books like this can help open at least a few peoples eyes...

Stolen Life: The Jorney of a Cree Woman
I have actually just begun to read the book as I became interested in this particular book very recently -- my family grew up in the same neighborhood as Yvonne Johnson and I felt compelled to read the book. I recall certain incidents from childhood such as her father on the front porch lining up all the children &(drunk) screaming "Indians on the Warpath" and one time grabbing my own sister off her bike, throwing her down (mistaking her for Yvonne) and then having to apologize profusely (he was drunk that time also)to my family. I recall her oldest brother dying while in the county jail, how my mother had him at times mow our lawns & we recalled how sad that time was, how the youngest, Perry, looked like a female with the long flowing hair (he had the lightest coloring), the girls Karen, Sharon, Kathy, Yvonne, how the Mother drove truck--the hard-scrabble life they led--I am sure it took a tremendous amount of courage to write this book, I recalled how she struggled with her speech, etc and how people could be mean to her.

Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams!
Tansi,

I come from a small reserve in northern Manitoba. What I read in "Journey of a Cree Woman" was unbelievable. I cannot believe how many hardships this woman had to go through, and yet she still continues on. This book really opened my eyes as to what other women go through . This book touched my heart and many times I got shivers down my back. This book is an awesome book, that I recommend especially for women. There are many good things I could say about this book, but there is a limit. I commend Rudy on his awesome work and continuied support with Yvonne. I commend Yvonne for sharing her story with us as it is not easy to tell a story that is nothing but the truth!

Stolen Life reads like a book of polished fiction.
Even though I felt like I was reading a novel, there was always the underlying sadness that came from knowing it was all true. Yvonne's story of abuse is heartbreaking because the reader can't help but wonder what kind of extraordinary life she might have led had she been raised in a loving, nurturing environment. Despite her horrendous childhood, she remains an articulate and thoughtful woman who seems to be at peace with the fact that she is a product of unfortunate circumstances. I just finished this book and now I want to buy it for a few of my girlfriends, to share the story, just as I'm sure Mr. Wiebe and Yvonne want to.

This is a heartrending story well worth reading.
While I have found Rudy Wiebe's more recent writing difficult to get into I couldn't put this book down. Yvonne's story is horrendous, almost unbelievable except that it comes through in such a way that the reader is convinced that she really has experienced her life as she and Wiebe have written it. I feel saddened and inspired to do more to understand and support our fellow native Canadians. Yvonne and Rudy, thank you for this book. ... Read more

Book Description

In his own words and paintings, acclaimed Native American artist George Littlechild takes young readers back in time to the first meeting between his Plains Cree ancestors and the first European settlers in North America. Through inspiring autobiographical stories accompanied by vivid, dramatic paintings, he recounts the history of his people and their relationship to the land, relating their struggles and triumphs with sensitivity, irony, and humor. Littlechild expresses his wish to use his art to portray the wonders of his heritage and to heal the pain of his people's history and offers hope and guidance from the Native American perspective. This Land is My Land is a winner of the Jane Addams Picture Book Award and the National Parenting Publications Gold Medal. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beautiful
I reviewed this book for circulation in the children's library where I work as an intern. I found it very touching, a first-hand account from a Native American who explains his feelings in a kind, appealing voice for a child. I am purchasing a copy for myself. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Canadian Mississauga biography
This is the story of the Reverend Peter Jones,(1802-1856) (Kahkewaquonaby), a Methodist missionary and a Chief of the Mississauga.

Doanld B Smith, a History Professor at the University of Calgary, writes an important story of the conflict between the First Peoples and the Europeans in the first years of settlement of south-Central Ontario. We see this interesting man in the context of the British settlement in Canada at a time when the new nation to the south (the USA)were forcibly moving the Cherokees and other eastern tribes to west of the Mississippi. That this did not happen in Upper Canada is to an important extent due to the leadership of this one man who could interpret the Europeans and Native Peoples to each other. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Is This about justice
I have not read the book but wonder about the author who has such a desregard for public safety, public order of the role of the police to protect us from violence. His behaviour during the Gustafsen Lake occupation revealed someone on the edge and held him up to widespread public ridicule.

Galileo vs. Canada
This is Bruce Clark's third book on the legality of Native land claims in North America. His first two books were: Indian Title In Canada (Carswell Law Publishers, Toronto, 1986) and Native Liberty, Crown Sovereignty: The Existing Aboriginal Right of Self-Government in Canada (McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, 1990).

Dr. Clark has made a career of defending native land claims in Canada and the US, based on legal arguments that the taking of native lands without purchase or treaty, by US and Canadian federal and/or state and provincial governments, has been unlawful. The argument is so open-and-shut, that courts refuse to hear it, since part of the argument is that the courts do not have jurisdiction. In over 40 cases, the court has refused to hear or respond to the argument. It is based on 18th century British constitutional law, which has not been repealed, and which is still in force in Canada and the USA. Starting with the Jackson administration in the US, the governments have simply decided to ignore the law on this matter. In the 1690s one of the branches of the great Mohican tribe made a treaty with the colony of Connecticut. The colony then allowed settlers onto the land. The Indians objected, saying the purpose of the treaty had been to prevent settlers from moving in. Connecticut felt the purpose was so that it could allow the settlers to move in. Absolutely opposite viewpoints of the same document. Rather than go to war, the Mohicans wanted to find a peaceful rule of law solution. But they did not want to go into the court system that the colony of Connecticut had set up, since doing that would admit that the intruding settlers had legal jurisdiction. And Connecticut would not accept the Mohican court. The Mohicans petitioned Great Britain's Queen Anne to find a solution. On March 9, 1804, as recommended by the Privy Council, Queen Anne issued an Order in Council (meaning that this decision was constitutionally binding on the British Crown and on all colonial governments in North America) asserting three principles: 1) Creation of a third-party court to adjudicate land disputes between Native Peoples and the colonial governments of the European settlers; 2) This court was to be a trial-level court; 3) Appeals against decisions by this court would be heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. From 1704 when the Mohicans first applied to the Queen to the beginning of the American Revolution in 1776, the case of Mohegan Indians vs. Connecticut was regarded as the single most important case in the history of the British Empire. It guaranteed colonized peoples the right to independent and impartial third-party adjudication in human rights matters. The genius of that court case was that, if it had not (illegally) been ignored, it could have prevented genocide in North America. Dr. Clark has been disbarred by the Ontario Law Society for making these arguments, and has been charged with contempt of court for making these arguments, even though the courts refuse to hear the arguments; hence, there is no basis for the court to say that they are wrong arguments. Dr. Clark's writing of this book is further basis for contempt of court. Like Galileo, Dr. Clark's only escape from imprisonment for making an argument is to renounce that argument. Which he refuses to do.

Law is based on Truth. Arguments are not disproved by the use of force of punishment and jail.

An impressive Native American issues survey and biography.
Justice In Paradise recounts how a commitment to Native rights and an extraordinary passion for the rule of law have determined the course of Bruce Clark's life. From a childhood in an Indian residential school, to the defense of aboriginal rights before the Word Court, to being disbarred, Clark's struggle has led him to fight against the justice system itself. Justice In Paradise explains the legal and philosophical position behind Clark's opposition to the Indian rights industry. Clark argues that the North American legal system causes the genocide of those indigenous peoples who embrace traditional religion and identity and accuses those who administer it with chicanery and abandoning the rule of law. Clark turned his back on a comfortable lawyer's life to defend the rule of law and Native rights across the whole of North America. Justice In Paradise is a candid, fascinating biography that will prove fascinating to students of law, Native American rights, and non-specialist general readers who enjoy reading of men and women who make their mark upon the world with an untiring and activist devotion to their ideals and principles. ... Read more

Book Description

Starting in the 1800s and continuing into the 20th century, First Nations children were forcibly taken to government-sponsored residential schools to erase their traditional languages and cultures. This moving book tells of one such child, author Larry Loyie, and his last summer with his Cree tribe. It is a time of learning and adventure. He cares for an abandoned baby owl, watches his grandmother make winter moccasins, and sees her kill a huge grizzly with one shot. The sensitive text and Heather Holmlund's expressive illustrations beautifully capture the joy and drama of a First Nations family's last summer together. ... Read more

Book Description

This book poignantly traces the personal, ethical, and professional development of a child predicted to be dysfunctional. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is a powerful book.
Anyone who feels that literacy has changed their life should read this book. The author tells of her heart-wrenching, lonely existence as an abused child who was shuttled from one foster home to another until she was adopted by a woman who opened her eyes to the world of reading. The author was able to overcome her less than auspicious beginning to become a professor of English at IUPUI. This story could have been told with much melodrama, but the author tells it in an extremely honest manner and lets the drama of the story come through naturally. She does not beg for sympathy for the circumstances of her childhood. She simply tells the readers how literacy brought her out of a miserable existence and makes a connection with her readers that will, at least for this reader, last forever. ... Read more

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wind Speaker, published by Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) on October 1, 2004. The length of the article is 481 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Off-reserve champion gone, not forgotten.(passed)(Gary E. Corbiere, 41, drowned in Lake Simcoe)(Obituary)
Publication: Wind Speaker (Newsletter)
Date: October 1, 2004
Publisher: Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA)
Volume: 22Issue: 7Page: 28(1)

Article Type: Obituary

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description

The journal of James Colnett is the last unpublished account of the early maritime fur trade on the Northwest Coast. Between 1786 and 1789, Colnett’s expedition traversed the coast from Prince William Sound to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Its members were the first Europeans to encounter the Tsimshian and the southern Heiltsuk, and the first to land on the southern Queen Charlotte Islands.

The journal is reproduced with full scholarly apparatus, as well as with extracts from a second journal by Andrew Bracey Taylor, 3rd mate on one of the ships in Colnett’s command. Focusing on the expedition’s remarkable encounters with the Native peoples of the Northwest Coast, Galois’ introductory essay also addresses the geopolitical context of the voyage and the intellectual background that shaped the writing of the journals.

This fascinating account gives us a new understanding of early European presence in the Northwest and of Native responses to these developments. It will interest historians, geographers, and ethnographers of the Northwest Coast and beyond. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A compendium of concise biographical sketches
Very highly recommended reading, Potlatch People: Indian Lives And Legends Of British Columbia by Mildred Valley Thornton is a compendium of concise biographical sketches drawn from the Native American people of British Columbia, as well as fascinating legends and traditions. Illustrated with artwork portraits of those portrayed offer a uniquely human-centered insight into a rich native culture and folklore. Potlatch People is an informed and informative addition to personal, academic, and community library Native American Studies supplemental reading lists and reference collections. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive and accurate depiction of Grey Owl.
"The life and history of Grey OWL, without Donald B. Smith, is only conjecture." Donald, without a beat takes the reader, from the get go, into a detailed , informative , and throughly documented decription of the life of Archibald Stansfeld Belaney. Like a bible to a preacher, this work is replete with fascinating and delightful insights into a most remarkable character who did, in fact, realize a fantacy. The story of Grey Owl is complex, full of adventure, and quite exciting. Like most men he had some peculiar behavior traits; however, Donald Smith does a sensitive and objective analysis which offers the reader the opportunity to make up his or her mind as to the motives and desires of Grey Owl's heart, mind and inner spirit. The book is so well documented it brings to mind the thought that this work is a masterpiece, and if one has the opportunity to experience the Canada that Grey Owl describes, he or she will come to appreciate, the effort put forth by the author is a work, couched in love; e.g., every question I have raised in the pursuit of the Grey Owl Saga, can be found directly or by implication in this book. I was so moved by it I contacted the author personally. If one desires, especially if he or she has read any or all of Grey Owl's books, to know the facts concerning any and all aspects of his life (G.O.), simply read, and have handy Donald's book, as it will guide you to a deeper appreciation of Grey Owl and his marvelous accomplishments. I am a better person for having read 'From the Land of Shadows' five times. Rich Gralewski, Pres. Jelly Roll Enterprises Santa Barbara, Ca. USA ... Read more

Book Description

Tom Longboat was a hero. A member of the Onondaga Nation, he was born on the Six Nations reserve in Oshwegen, near Brantford, Ontario. Despite poverty, poor training, and prejudice, Longboat went on to become one of the world’s best runners. In 1907, at the height of his fame, he won the Boston Marathon and ran in the 1908 Olympic Marathon. Longboat was one of the best-known people of his day, and certainly the most prominent member of the Six Nations. Throughout his career he had to race against opponents, as well as rumors of illegal running activities. Nevertheless, he maintained his dignity, and his achievements still inspire people who understand the great pleasure of running, and running fast. ... Read more

Book Description

Elsie Sark, an enigma and a legend, came to the Lennox Island Reserve, Prince Edward Island, in 1918 as the English bride of Mi'kmaq war hero John J. Sark.

Greeted on arrival by her father-in-law Chief John T. Sark and an assembly of Mi'kmaq residents, she found herself in the midst of a community in conflict. Without relinquishing her Victorian manner she settled on the Reserve, raising a family. Her life story sheds new light on Native-white relations on Prince Edward Island, but more than that, it bears witness to one woman's dedication to her community and family.

Micmac by Choice is the inspiring account of a remarkable woman and of the remarkable community she chose as her home. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fireworks and Follie: How we Killed Minnie Sutherland
She was related to my wife and this book gives an accurate account of just how crewl people can be. She never stood a chance even though some others tried to help her. Justice was never done. ... Read more