1 comments about Beyond Their Years : Five Native Women's Stories.

1. Each story represented the struggles and sacrifices that each woman had to suffer in order to stand up for what she believed in. These stories give women who are either Native or non-Native a sense of pride and accomplishment in female history. After reading the book, I felt liberated from all the misconceived notions about natives and native women that I had been taught about. Due to the author's indepth account of each woman and her environment I felt as if I knew each woman personally. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a good read!

No comments about The Frontier World of Edgar Dewdney.

No comments about Moose to Moccasins: Story of Ka Kita Wa Pa No Kwe.

No comments about Behind the Man: John Laurie, Ruth Gorman, and the Indian Vote in Canada (Legacies Shared).

No comments about Birth of a Bookworm.

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1 comments about Under Polaris: An Arctic Quest (McLellan Books).

1. This marvelous book is a blend of adventure story, scientific diary, and ethnographic study. The author, Tahoe Talbot Washburn, accompanied her husband, Lincoln Washburn, to the Canadian Arctic in 1938-1941, helping him do his graduate field work in the glacial geology of the region. The author was a keen observer of native people and their way of life. She recorded what we now see in retrospect as the waning years of a nomadic way of life for the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Prior to World War II, many Inuit roamed freely across the high Arctic, camping in snow houses (igloos) constructed along the trail at the end of the day. The Canadian Arctic Inuit were still essentially nomads; they did not live in or visit permanent settlements, except for a few important events each year. Accordingly, governmental authorities and missionaries had to go on expeditions to meet with the Inuit. Soon after the war, this pattern changed dramatically, and seemingly irrevocably, towards a more settled way of life. This book is made all the more fascinating because it provides many glimpses into a way of life perched on the cusp of radical change. The Washburns were much more than casual visitors to the Canadian Arctic. They lived there for months at a time, including one extended stay from August, 1940 to February, 1941. They spent precious little time indoors, preferring to move about the Arctic islands, hiking, boating, camping, and dog-sledding in winter. The scientific aim of this multi-year project was to determine the extent of regional glaciation in the late Pleistocene, a much-debated topic of that day. By collecting marine fossils and mapping traces of glacial scouring in bedrock, Lincoln Washburn was able to begin the process of reconstructing the extent of ice sheets during the last glaciation. This thesis project marked the beginning of his long and illustrious career in glacial geology. However, geologic research is only incidental to this book. It brought the Washburns to Arctic Canada, but once there, they fell in love with the land and its people. Both Lincoln and Tahoe relished the arduous Arctic lifestyle, where physical endurance and mental acuity often make the difference between survival and death. They marveled at the ingenuity, patience, and sense of humor that seemed to sustain the Inuit through manifold hardships. Tahoe Washburn spent many months emulating the role of Inuit women, including daily food preparation (for both people and sled dogs), sewing of leather garments, and hide preparation (including chewing caribou hides to soften them). Although limited by not understanding the Inuit language, she learned by observation. Her Native companions appreciated her efforts to follow their ways, and took the time to teach her many skills that few outsiders ever learned. The book is richly illustrated, with 107 photos and six maps. Although the material in the book was taken from diaries, it has been well-edited, never becoming dull or repetitive. I heartily recommend this book to readers interested in the natural history and ethnography of the Arctic.

   Review published in Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol. 31, No. 4. Copyright: Regents of the University of Colorado

No comments about Man of Mana: Marius Barbeau, a Biography.

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