Fort Chipewyan and the Shaping of Canadian History, 1788-1920s: We Like to Be Free in This Country

From its founding as a fur trading center in 1788, Fort Chipewyan has had a pivotal role in the history of Alberta and of Canada as a whole. Despite its geographic location at the edge of the Arctic, argues McCormack (Native Studies, U. of Alberta), the settlement sits at the intersection of global, national, and indigenous cultures and economies, and the evolution of Fort Chipewyan over time tells an important story about how Aboriginal people became part of modern Canada. The author chronicles the steps that the Aboriginal people of the Fort Chipewyan region took to preserve their autonomy as the original fur economy gave way to a new economy tied to that of the Canadian industrial state, the most important of which were the signing of Treaty No. 8 and the acceptance of scrip in 1899. Clearly written (especially for a scholarly book) and meticulously researched, McCormack's volume is an important contribution to scholarship on the history of Canada's First Nations. The book contains numerous maps, charts, and black-and-white photos. Distributed by UTP Distribution. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)