The Ogoki River Guides: Emergent Leadership Among the Northern Ojibwa

Edwin G. Higgins was a freelance writer in Sudbury, Ontario.

This book is based on the thesis which earned Edward Hedican his doctorate in applied anthropology. He is now an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Guelph.

The book is an account of how the people of Collins, a tiny non-reserve Ojibway/Métis community on the CNR line, struggled to take charge of their own affairs. It tells how three brothers, sons of a fur trader and his Indian wife, assumed leadership of the community and established a million-dollar wilderness lodge.

Successfully securing government funds, the brothers were able to provide employment for people in Collins and other communities. Construction workers, boatmen, fishermen, guides, cooks, and managers — all were needed. They also secured training for local workers at Thunder Bay College. After many hardships, conflicts, and difficulties, the lodge was completed and a success. One result was that the community acquired a new sense of worth and a cohesiveness.

The study traces the evolution of economic and political behavior in a non-reserve community. It documents an exceptional case of Ojibway leadership. The author provides a perceptive analysis of the Indian psyche and identifies the features which define the role of leaders in an Indian community.