Discovering First People and First Contacts

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

Part of the Discovery Series, this book describes the culture of the
Indigenous peoples of Canada before, during, and after contact with
Europeans, as well as the culture of the Europeans who came to this
country and interacted with them.

This book takes a geographic approach to describing Canadian Indigenous
peoples, ranging from the Pacific to the East Coast. First contact by
the Vikings broadens into the advent of the French and the birth of New
France, with the attendant role of the Church and the fur trade. The
gradual push west and north until British Columbia and the Northwest
Passage were added to the map of North America is described. The book
concludes with information on today’s explorers and the lifestyles of
Aboriginal peoples today.

This is a well-written and informative history of the Aboriginal
peoples and early European explorers and settlers of Canada. Each
section has a “Something To Do” corner that includes creative
suggestions for individual research. Most sections also have a “Did
You Know” sidebar that features interesting historical anecdotes. The
sensitive subject of alleged mistreatment of Native peoples is handled
with tact and diplomacy. The book is replete with photographs, maps,
graphs, and drawings. Recommended as a research tool for young people,
the book is particularly well suited to the Grade 7 history curriculum.