Canada's First Nations: A History of Founding Peoples from Earliest Times

Jean Manore is a policy assistant at the Department of Native Affairs.

This sweeping examination of First Nations history, from precontact
times through to the present, emphasizes the persistence of Amerindian
cultures and the adaptability of Amerindian peoples when faced with
change.

Relying on copious historical, anthropological, and archeological
records, but not on traditional lore, Dickason discusses in Part 1 the
pre-contact era, a period during which Indian civilizations flourished
while others floundered. Part 2 examines contact times—in particular,
the effects of disease, trade, and war on Native societies. Part 3 deals
with the “modern era,” a period that has seen Amerindians coping
with legal and social discrimination. Dickason sums up this section (and
the book) by referring to a quality of Amerindian societies noted in
Part 1—adaptability.

This is an excellent book for those interested in First Nations
history.