3 comments about Willa's New World.

1. This is a great book to read - adults and teens alike. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the early history of Canada, the Hudson's Bay Company, and the fur trade.
   
   The book is well-written and as a teacher, I highly recommend it.



2. When I heard about this book, I *had* to read it. I'm an amateur historian with a particular interest in the Canadian fur trade, 1774-1821, and there just aren't that many books written for young people that use this for a setting.

   Since I'm not a literary critic, I'll confine my comments to the historic accuracy & educational value of this book. I must note, however, that last year it won Alberta's R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature. I found numerous historical errors, but only two rose above mere nit-picking.

   First, and foremost, there were no white girls or women in the Canadian fur trade until 1806, eleven years after the setting of this book. This isn't really a problem, in my opinion; by making her protagonist an English girl, Demers can have both a female point of view and a completely fresh perspective. It gives her a reason to explain to the reader the many differences between Willa's old life in England and her new one at the HBC fur post. Demers gets extra marks for explaining, in her afterword, that there weren't really any white women in the fur trade at this time. She also clarifies a few other points where she let her fiction depart from fact, but this is the major one.

   My other major historical issue with this book is more subtle. Demers' Natives are overly romanticized. Willa's roommate and instant best friend, Amelia, is a Native girl who works at York Factory in order to learn more about Europeans. Amelia's brother is a skilled hunter who seems to be the only Native trading furs at York Factory. Later we discover that Amelia's family has no European trade goods, which left me wondering what, exactly, he received in return for his many excellent furs. (The author makes it clear that it wasn't rum.) Amelia's mother, Moon, is a skilled healer respected by all Natives. And Amelia's father, Bear, is so spiritual that he spends much of his time in holy places, and rarely sees his family. Clearly, Amelia and her family are exceptional, and we never learn much about what life is like for most Natives. We are also told, repeatedly, of how deadly life is at York Factory; we learn of four deaths there--two violent, one accidental, and one natural. All the Native deaths we learn about are due either to natural causes or European diseases, leading the reader to erroneously conclude that, until the Europeans came, life wasn't difficult for Natives.

   Demers does some things unusually well. Overall, I was favorably impressed by her portrait of life within the fur trade. She did a good job of showing the hard work done by the clerks, which rarely gets recognition from historians; the labour shortage, which was indeed so severe that I readily believed Willa being employed as an apprentice clerk when it was discovered she could read & write; the way that certain Natives were entrusted with the lives of fur traders on long journeys; the way Natives rescued Europeans who had gotten themselves into difficulty; the fur post's impressive library; and European men's reliance on Native women to supply them with moccasins. (Demers has an ingenious fictional device that builds on this fact).

   I would recommend this novel as a way for young people to get a general impression of what life was like for Europeans within the fur trade, but I'd also caution them not to take the details too literally, because of those nit-picky mistakes I mentioned earlier. I understand that Barbara Demers is working on a sequel. I'm looking forward to it. I hope that, in addition to once again seeking input from historians, she will also visit fur trade "living history" sites so that she can learn about making a fire with flint and steel, how muskets work, and clothing in the fur trade era.




3. Barbara Demers wrote a wonderful tale of a young orphan girl being shipped to the New World where she must learn to fend for herself. She finds much more than just a new continent with strange circumstances. As Willa explores her new surroundings, she also finds within herself a world of strength and knowledge to explore. This is an excellent book which contains a very engaging story that appeals to a girl's sense of independence and adventure. Although Willa draws on memories of her brother for strength as she begins her adventures, she eventually finds that strength within herself as she discovers that women are strong, and more importantly, she is strong herself. The brief historical afterword is icing on the cake! I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction!

No comments about Sea Otter Chiefs.

1 comments about Waking Nanabijou: Uncovering a Secret Past.

1. Waking Nanabijou is an outstanding piece of work, beautifully crafted and meticulously researched. More than that, it is clearly the product of a wonderful labour of love. The rich details of Jim Poling Sr.'s close family life as a youngster in northern Ontario are particularly rich in warmth and drama. Some readers may guess the secret that is the book's foundation before the author reveals it. Nevertheless, Poling's story line about following old trails until he came to the truth reads like a great mystery novel. The final chapter of Waking Nanabijou is disturbing in its unvarnished clarity about the stark situation facing Canada's First Peoples. Poling raises many questions here. They deserve answers.

4 comments about Justice in Paradise (Mcgill-Queen's Native and Northern Series).

1. There is no doubt about Bruce Clarke's passion for Aboriginal people in Canada and the U.S. He staked his legal career on such concerns. His passion has made him controversial in many circles in North America. This autobiography/adventure story confirms that.
   
   Clarke presents an interesting legal avenue to pursue Aboriginal concerns and claims within North America. The problem is that no one, and I mean absolutely no one, appears very willing to listen. Clarke appeals to a legal precident that has never been over-ruled and therefore remains binding on all courts within North America. It is a good argument. However, no court will admit it or even listen to Clarke, usually for procedural reasons. The argument, even though valid, keeps getting shut down in court. It may be of consequence that Clarke has a knack for becoming involved with several explosive situations in an attempt to have the courts hear his argument. He is unsuccessful. He is eventually disbarred as a lawyer.
   
   This is a most unusual story, more likely to be found in communities practicing oral traditions. Seldom do we find stories like this within the larger, dominant culture. Although Aboriginal viewpoints are not fully explored, it is Clarke's point of view is facinating and insightful. Moreover, Clarke provides very helpful appendices which support and compliment the text.
   
   This book is a good read, whether you agree with Clarke or not. It provides insight into why he did what he did. Arguably, It is not justification of his deeds, but a call to the reader to examine difficult issues which we want to ignore in our daily lives. It is presented in a well-reasoned argument. Although it may appear that Clarke is bombastic, loud, and obnoxious, I found that he becomes a little more humble along the way (i.e., "Bonfire of the Vanities"). For better or worse, Clarke discovers a little more about himself and the world in which he lives. In turn, we, as readers, ought to do the same.



2. 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.



3. 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.




4. 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.

3 comments about Return to the Drum.

1. Return to the Drum is more than a memoir. Morris is a thoughtful, respectful and self-critical writer. Her descriptions - often recalling actual conversations - are fresh and lively. She has a great respect and admiration for the people in the community. It is eminently readable



2. Return to the Drum is beautifully written, interesting,honest, thought-provoking,and in every way, excellent. I do hope that everyone who has an interest in the needs of Aboriginal people - and that should be all of us -- will read it as an important and well-told message



3. I loved this book as it contains the elements I enjoy in a good read - stories of ordinary people living, laughing and coming to appreciate each other. It is about a people's strength as they survive and adapt with dignity to the many challenges inflicted upon them across the years. It is about the author, a young Welsh teacher, who goes to the Arctic and ends up learning a great deal! The two stories intertwine as we learn about the Dene Indian's daily life in this northern community and their past. You finish the book having laughed, cried, being angry and ultimately caring about these people. It is beautifully written, interesting, honest and thought-provoking. It is a must read for anyone interested in the needs of Aboriginal people -and that should be all of us.

2 comments about First Across the Continent (The Oklahoma Western Biographies , Vol 14).

1. This is a well-written, concise (200 pages) biography of Alexander Mackenzie, the great Canadian explorer, best remembered for two important journeys made in western Canada, one to the Arctic Ocean in 1789, the other to the Pacific in 1792-93. Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1762 and came to America as a teenager. He lived first in New York State around Johnstown, but moved to Montreal in 1778, where he entered the fur trade. By the 1780s, Fort Chipewyan, on the southern shore of Lake Athabasca, had become an important fur trading post, and this became Mackenzie's base of operations for his two explorations. The first, in 1789, took him north to Great Slave Lake and the river that would later bear his name, down which he ventured to the Beaufort Sea. Three years later he journeyed west from Fort Chipewyan along the Peace River and then over the Continental Divide to the Fraser and finally overland to the Pacific near Bella Coola. Thus Mackenzie and his men became the first to travel to the Pacific from an interior post on the continent (basically the first to cross the continent from sea to sea). He wrote an excellent account of his travels in 1801 (Lewis and Clark studied it thoroughly), much of it having to do with the Indians he encountered and which also included a history of the Canadian fur trade. He was knighted in 1802 and settled in Scotland. Although the book is a full biography, Gough focuses on the two journeys, the itineraries of which he has made extensive explorations of his own, and details the routes carefully, explaining much of what the explorers would have seen and experienced. He's a compelling writer and the book is a most interesting one. Highly recommended.



2. Pretty good book. Gives a rather matter-of-fact account of MacKenzie's life. Not alot of detail or passion in either of his 2 great voyages. Interesting in all the other people brought into the story. Now I want to read about Peter Pond, MacKenzies' predecessor. Short and a quick read.

No comments about The passing of New France;: A chronicle of Montcalm, (Chronicles of Canada series ... ed. by G. M. Wrong and H. H. Langton. [v. 10]).

1 comments about On Six Continents: Life in Canada's Foreign Service 1966-2002.

1. This book is strictly a biography, which is not what I was looking for. I was hoping to learn about Canada's Foreign Service department and about the work of foreign service employees. The book is written at high school level, and never goes into depth on any topic. It's a good book for Mr. Bartleman to give to his children, and for people who want a great story to read in an evening or two.

No comments about Thomas Crosby and the Tsimshian: Small Shoes for Feet Too Large.

1 comments about Potlatch People: Indian Lives & Legends of British Columbia.

1. 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.