Northwest Books

"The Lesser Blessed is a coming of age tale told in photo-booth snapshots and raunchy one-liners. It is poetry and prose and locker-room boasts and puking-your-guts-out shame. It's sex that transcends tragedy. It is loud and rude and high. It's a shaker."
--John Burns for the Georgia Straight (Nov. 28, 1996)

"[Van Camp] does not stumble over nostalgia or romanticism or careless diction. He loves words-his own, his Nation's, rock and roll's-and slips perfect ones into atrociously profane and perfect sentences..."
--Lorna Jackson for The Malahat Review (Summer, 1997)

The Lesser Blessed. Richard Van Camp. Douglas & McIntyre, 1996. Reviewed by Dr. Geary Hobson.

In virtually every generation, in the realm of literary activity, there comes along a
book that, by the very nature of its subject matter and place and the sheer exuberance
of its utterances reverberant of the place and people depicted, introduces not only a
little-known terra firma and people, but sometimes becomes the definer of that era in
which it is produced. Not surprisingly, these books are usually the products of younger
writers. Wordsworth's and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads, Jane Austin's novels, the
work of the Brontes, Stephen Crane's stories, Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
ushering in the Lost Generation, Kerouac's Beat Generation introduced in On The
Road, Salinger's Holden Caulfield wandering through Catcher in the Rye, the jaded
"me"-obsessed teens in Bret Easton Ellis's Less Than Zero, Native American
sensibilities in Momaday's House Made of Dawn, and a generation later, Alexie's The
Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven-all these books and writers burst forth
in such dynamic ways that not only defined their respective eras, shook the accepted
literary standards of their day, but expanded and extended the English lan-{78}guage,
while at the same time occasioning the debut of sometimes extraordinary new literary
talents.
In my view, Richard Van Camp, a Dogrib Nation writer born in Fort Smith,
Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1971, is accomplishing virtually the same thing in his
first novel, The Lesser Blessed, as Hemingway, Kerouac, et al. did in their times.
Given the smaller spectrum of Native American literature within (or without, as many
Native writers would have it) the larger context of American, British, and Canadian
literatures, Van Camp's novel introduces a new terrain and language that nonetheless
has roots in the fiction of Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, and James Welch, while
simultaneously exploring the same subject matter as the contemporary stories of
Sherman Alexie, Adrian Louis, and Lorne Simon.
In The Lesser Blessed, a Dogrib Indian teenager named Larry Sole narrates his
story and thus invites the reader into the little-examined world of contemporary Dogrib
(a part of the Dene, or Athabaskan-based, tribal people of the Northwest Territories
of Canada). More specifically, Larry embodies a modern Indian teenager's view of his
particular tribal culture and of the Indian world in general, acknowledging them and
appreciating them along with his fondness for Iron Maiden, Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy
Osbourne, occasional pot-smoking, getting "hamburgered" ("Raven" talk--Larry's own
take on his tribe's trickster figure's language for "drunk," Larry tells us), and trying to
get closer to his own particular Juliet (and, incidentally, the girl's actual name in the
novel) whom Larry remembers as "the first girl in grade school to swear at a teacher."
A North of 60 Romeo, Larry is in love with Juliet while she throws her sexual favors
to Johnny Beck, Larry's best friend, who is scornfully casual to her attentions.
Van Camp's method of characterization is strikingly vivid. At seventeen, and tall
and skinny, Larry describes himself as having "spaghetti arms and daddy longlegs,"
and at one point he visualizes himself as a Dogrib hunter of an earlier time as he
watches Juliet, "seen in his sights as a white caribou, pure, but (whom) he let go out of
respect and awe." Larry and his mother, a night school student at Arctic College, live
in Fort Simmer, a north-of-the-60th parallel town near the border of Alberta. Jed, his
mother's on-again, off-again boy friend, is a traditional Slavey Indian trapper whom
Larry identifies as a father-figure, and who promises to take Larry out "on the land" for
a season of trapping. Larry is amenable to this, but he is still comfortable in his
high-school world of hanging out with Johnny, lusting after Juliet from afar, {79} trying
his best to avoid the numerous school-ground fist-fights, and playing his tape deck
"cranked up" with AC/DC, Judas priest, and Iron Maiden.
Slowly, through a number of finely crafted, fragmented flashbacks, the reader
learns of Larry's past, in which his biological father physically and sexually abused him
and later died in a cabin fire that Larry himself may have started. Like Welch's
emotionally frozen nameless narrator of Winter in the Blood, Larry gradually awakens
to love and affection--after he surprisingly (to himself most of all) consummates his
sexual desire for Juliet in a brief relationship--and learns to retrust his mother and to
give himself fully in a father-son relationship with Jed. The Lesser Blessed, incredibly
funny and wise-cracking in many places, is nonetheless filled with the genuine
ingredients of a well-wrought tragi-comedy.
The Lesser Blessed is also the harbinger of a sophisticated Arctic literature, and
of a bold new direction for contemporary Native literature. And while it is perhaps not
the first novel to come out of the Canadian Northwest Territories, it is certainly the first
work of fiction by a Native writer from that vast region. By all accounts, it is a
masterful achievement.

Dr. Geary Hobson

"THE LESSER BLESSED is easily one of the most truthful, painful, powerful novels I've ever read."

-Joseph Bruchac

Profusely illustrated with brilliant, full color photography, Gary Wyatt's Mythic Beings: Spirit Art Of The Northwest Coast is a superb introduction to aboriginal art including totems, wood sculpture, masks, stone carvings and more. Wyatt's informative text is an outstanding survey placing each art piece within their cultural context, enhanced with the artist's own descriptions and commentaries. Mythic Beings is a very welcome addition to personal, academic, and professional Native American art and cultural reference collections.

Great color photos and and discriptions of the carvings and artwork. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that is interested in Northwest Coast art.

Mythic Beings is an unassuming but impressive book. The major organizing theme is that spirit art captures the rich cultural and aesthetic traditions that permeate regional artistic expression. Northwest Coast art can be intimidating because it has a complex cosmology and iconography. Wyatt, however, makes this complexity accessible by using two underlying principles. The universe consists of separate but interrelated realms (e.g., sky, underwater), and each realm has its characteristic real and mythical creatures. Mythical creatures have distinctive physical representations used in both sacred and secular representations.

Mythic Beings features 75 beautifully reproduced photographs of masks, robes, and rattles representing the work of 34 artists. Each artist provides a commentary about his/her piece. This provides an opportunity to become familiar with the physical depiction and mythological roles of the creatures depicted by the artists.

Mythic Beings is a gem. It is a wonderful gift book for anyone interested in indigenous art and First Nations peoples.

Great color photos and and discriptions of the carvings and artwork. I would definatly recommend this to anyone that is interested in Northwest Coast art.

I recently came back from a trip to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It isn't enough that it is some of the most beautiful landscape on Earth, but I also discovered the amazing artists of the Pacific Northwest community. The artworks within this book (as well as Spirit Faces also by this author) are so moving and beautiful, my only regret is that I am not able to start collecting on a massive scale.

Mr. Wyatt also allows the artists to describe for the readers their inspirations and ideas behind their products, which allows us to get to know them a little. After a short while I was able to determine the various artists based upon the varying styles of the pieces depicted here.

Highly recommended!

Anyone who has ever crossed the border north for the land of the mosquitoes, giant pike and elusive trophy walleye will LOVE this book ! All those misadventures you've ever had trying to bust out a beaver dam, shoot the rapids you shouldn't shoot "while going after that perfect walleye spot", are perfectly written to the point you're in tears laughing sooo hard !!
Story after story you'll be rolling on the floor...yeah that was us 6 years ago when we took so&so along.. he never did know how to _____........
GREAT BOOK !!!!!!!!!!

Anyone who has fished the North Country will recognize the characters and events in Mr. Knowles book. I take it with me every year on our trip to northern Ontario. The world really needs the sequel......SOON!!!

I smile just thinking about Doc and crew. You will see yourself and your fishing buddies in this collection of short stories. The wisdom of Doc was a big hit with the "Casual Fishermen". Thanks Doc.

Was like looking at myself, and my own fishing buddies.I hope there are more books to follow. You should meet our group that makes the anual trip north to the fun. (thanks Doc.)

My husband received this book last year for Christmas and loved it. It reminded him of his fly-in trips to Ontario. Over the holidays I read the book and also found great joy in each chapter. The guys are thinking of letting the women try this fly in trip as we do fish every year in Canada and have a great time. Now that would be a good story. In each chapter I could see vivdly one of the pictures that we put into an album unlike Doc and the crew did for many years. If you want an enlightning book this is it. We certainly need a sequel.

I actually got to meet Connie Rae Strain and see a presentation given by her about "Perfect Imperfections." She is one of the nicest people you can ever meet! "Perfect Imperfections" is a great book about a girl and her horse. Connie really wants a horse. She begs her dad to get her one and he does! This book is about their adventures.

My first reaction when I heard about the book from a friend was,
"It's a book about a horse, maybe I'll read it, maybe I won't--how intersting can that be?" So I bought the book..and I read it..and I loved it!! It is a well written story that moves at a good pace. The young girl's adventures through a life that isn't always so happy, tugs at your heartstrings. Reading about areas I am familiar with in the NW was a fun bonus!! I highly recommend this book and look forward to Ms. Strain's next adventure!!

This is a fun and heartwarming story of a young girl growing up in adverse conditions yet continues to pursue her dream. The bumps in the road are just small obstacles that only a young girl would see as a challenge rather than a roadblock. It made me laugh out loud at times, remembering myself as a fourteen year old.

it offers memmories of the good times and the badtimes. shows what life has to offer,that you should never say never.cause you never know.don't be afriad to try new things.shows a strong bond between a family afetr a, painful divorce.I SIMPLY LOVE IT.THIS SHOULD SELL MILLIONS.YOU GO AND DO YOUR THING MRS.STRAIN.

This book was an absolute surprise! Connie Rae takes us on a journey with all the twist & turns that life has to offer. She cleverly shows us through the eyes of a fourteen year old and seamlessly switches back to an adult perspective, which made it all the more entertaining. What a charming way to remind us all that whenever life gives us lemons it serves humanity to make lemonade. YOU GO CONNIE! SIMPLY FABULOUS...

A great source of tunes, I had heard about this book from a few friends. Add this to the Fiddlers Fakebook and you will have plenty to keep yourself busy.

This is a strong collection of tunes with both melodies and chords included so that an advanced novice guitar player could accompany and fill out the sound. Songs are included in both 4/4 and 6/8, so the rhythms and tunes overall are more diverse and interesting than just standard "old-timey" fiddle tunes. While the collection was compiled for contra dancing, they make for charming ensemble pieces that work well at a variety of tempos. I had a few played at my wedding with a mandolin, penny whistle and guitar, and we were all under the spell of love and good music!

After the "Fiddler's Fakebook" this is the tune collection to own. Hundreds of reels and jigs in clear notation with, usually, good chord suggestions. Little, if any, overlap with the tunes in the FF. Very durable spiral binding, sits easy on a stand or table. Includes many recently composed tunes including my favorite, Erik Sessions' "It Ain't the Heat, It's the Humidity." Many hours of playing pleasure, fast becoming a standard collection.

While the fiddler's fakebook has a greater quantity of songs, this particular collection has consistent quality of songs chosen. There are so many great tunes in here, jamming out would not be quite the same without it. My personal favorite is "Lady of the Lake". Yes, I know there are two of them... but they're both good! Go figure.

If you are looking to purchase a fiddle book, this is definitely the best one to buy. This book contains about 400 tunes and the quality of the tunes is fantastic. Every single tune in this book sounds great and can be ornamentated dozens of ways with plenty of room to make the tune your own. One of the best features of this book is the spiral binding. The binding is great because you don't have to constantly bend your book to get it to stay open on the stand. Another great feature is that the book is organized alphabetically so you can find your tune quickley during a jam. There is also an index which organizes the tunes by key and type which makes it really easy to come up with your own sets. There are even detailed notes on each song. Some of the notes even give suggestions on how to add some ornamentation to the tune.

Overall, this book is great, but there are two things which are worth noting.
-The pages are quite thin and could tear easily.
-The book is very thick but it's only about 8.5 inches tall. This could make it difficult for people with weak eyesight to see some of the tunes.

Not only is this a beautiful book but very informative about the Pacific Northwest's bounty of seafood. I work at an exclusive Country Club and took this book to our Chef; that week end he served a couple of recipes from it. Also I enjoyed reading the history of Ray's Boathouse.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to enjoy's Ray's Boathouse in Seattle knows what delicious food they serve! I was so excited to find that they had made a cookbook so that I could enjoy some of their dishes at home as well. From Dungeness Crab Cakes with Orange Tarragon Butter Sauce to Yakima Peach & Blackberry Crisp you will find making these Northwest treats easy and delicious for even the novice cook. The variety of seafood in the cookbook allows the rest of the country to experience the Northwest no matter where they live.

Ray's Boathouse is a legendary restaurant at Seattle's Shilshole Bay. With an enviable panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound, this has become a comforting location to enjoy a meal, watch boats sail by and enjoy entertaining conversations with friends and family.

My mother loves Coconut Prawns and I think that is why she purchased this cookbook. She has been so kind as to lend it to me for a few weeks. If you love seafood you will find recipes for everything from Black Pepper Dungeness Crab to Ray's Crab and Corn Chowder. You may enjoy trying recipes for the Parmesan-Crusted Halibut or the Pan Roasted Copper River Sockeye Salmon on a bed of sweet corn and fiddlehead ferns.

Tempting Recipes:

Spiced Peach-Currant Chutney
Shrimp Spring Rolls
Roasted Garlic Cheesecake
Boathouse Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Dungeness Crab Cakes with Orange Tarragon Butter Sauce
Chardonnay Prawn Butter
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Indulgence - Chocolate Ganache with Chambord Sabayon
Deep-Dish Apple Pie
Lemon Mousse
Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies

The pictures in this cookbook make you want to run down to Pike Place Market to pick up fresh fish and other supplies. You might also want to visit Larry's Market to find a few of the produce items. Well, actually, if you are in Seattle, why not just visit this restaurant. We love Rays and I'm happy my mother bought this cookbook. She might not be seeing it for a few more months although she might be seeing me because I found a $10 off coupon for a lunch or dinner at Ray's Boathouse.

While many of the recipes look very gourmet in the pictures, they are not difficult to make and your only real concern will be where to find the freshest seafood possible in your local area. Amazon also has a gourmet food section so you can look for Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate for the chocolate indulgence recipe. You need at least three 9.7-ounce bars and the recipe serves 12.

~The Rebecca Review

This is a rare find---a local cookbook which is first class, in both its layout and recipe accumen.

The photography here is breathtaking, as it would appear the views are from this Puget Sound restraurant. Their is early into this book a two-page sunset which is simply breathtaking. This is followed by nice history of the restaurant, which now includes as one of the owners Jack Sikma of Sonics fame.

Trying to find good Pacific Northwest recipes, this one certainly provides that in abundance. Especially seafood with its Ray's Cafe Seafood Margarita; Shrimp-Stuffed Artichokes with Herbed Cream Cheese; Dungeness Crab & Rock Shrimp Cakes with Ancho Chile Mayo; Grilled Copper River King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce; Ray's Cafe Salmon Burger with Basil Mayo and Wasabi Slaw; Parmesan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Tomato and Artichoke Ragout; Yakima Peach & Blackberry Crisp with Caramel Sauce;

Well thoughtout and balanced work with striking photos and accompanying prose to excite one to try these Seattle favorites. Meant to please and it delivers.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to enjoy's Ray's Boathouse in Seattle knows what delicious food they serve! I was so excited to find that they had made a cookbook so that I could enjoy some of their dishes at home as well. From Dungeness Crab Cakes with Orange Tarragon Butter Sauce to Yakima Peach & Blackberry Crisp you will find making these Northwest treats easy and delicious for even the novice cook. The variety of seafood in the cookbook allows the rest of the country to experience the Northwest no matter where they live.

I read this book in one day, and could not stop laughing. I learned a lot about gardening in the process. I think many of us come to love gardening in the same way. Great book!

This is one of those books that,"You have had to be there.. to appreciate!! It was so much of my life and how my gardens started.. Right down to Starbucks coffee, the tree "experts",and when they went looking for warmth and got off the plane in Palm Springs!!!!I knew someone had been peeking at my life! Couldn't put it down until I had finished and am sharing it with other garden friends..My sister gave it to me for my birthday and asked, "Did you write this?"

I fell in love with the book by page 13 and highly recommend it to all writers and gardener. The only problem with this charming book is that it's too short--I wanted, no needed more. Thank you, Meg, for sharing your garden and thoughts. PS: I love roses, cliche or not, and Cecile is my favorite (okay, so I have an addiction but only 3 Ceciles, and okay 70 plus roses).

Plant journals may sound dull, but if you find the right one to read you will not only laugh your head off, but you'll learn a lot about plants as well. After reading Gayla's Plant Journal on YouGrowGirl.com, and then attempting to write my own, I was lucky enough to find this book crammed in the back of the gardening section of my favorite used bookstore. Slug Tossing: And Other Adventures of a Reluctant Gardener by Meg DesCamp is the hilarious saga of her attempt to grow flowers at her home in Portland. While she learns about soil, compost, feeding plants and so on, you do too. It's like taking a horticulture class where you spy on the worst student in the room. You'll find yourself giggling while reading about evil slugs, peat moss (as DesCamp says, "Peat moss. What the hell is peat moss?"), ladybugs and weed pulling. By the way, this is a great book to give as presents for your gardener pals.

I first discovered this book at my local library, and read it two times, and shared it with my husband to read before returning it, reluctantly, to the library's collection. I hastily decided that I had to have my own copy, and ordered one here, in the bundle with "From the Ground Up" which I also recommend.
Meg DesCamp takes you on a journey from the beginnings of home ownership, with mild self depricating humor similar to author Anne Lammott. Through interior decorating mishaps, adventures with her cats, sisters and husband, and adventures in gardening, we're there as her first garden becomes part of her family.

I learned so much about gardening from this book, and especially appreciate its Pacific Northwest climate references-being set in Portland, OR. I enjoyed her approach and prose, and look forward to another book by this great storyteller.

I think this book touches peoples hearts. The author did a seriously good job of researching.

I read this book many, many years ago while in middle school (?) and I couldn't put it down. Having been from Oregon, I found the tail of the Sager family incredible, and the Oregon Trail has always intrigued me. I ended up reading the whole in book in two days because it was so great.

What I love about this book is it is historically accurate, gripping, and interesting to children. While it is not written with fantastic literary flourish, it is an engaging and amazing story. As a teacher, it fits with the fourth grade Washington curriculum perfectly and that is where I have used it. It sparks interest in readers (both young and old) about the Oregon Trail, history, and the Sager family.

The most famous book about the Sager family is probably "On to Oregon!" by Honore Morrow, on which the movie, "Seven Alone," is based. But "Stout-hearted Seven," is based on more thorough research and is more accurate. This is the one our fourth grade teachers usually read aloud as part of their curriculum on Washington State, and it's the title that most students will come into the library to check out and read again.

While there are many good fictional accounts about the Oregon Trail, this is the one I'd recommend first for upper elementary grades, simply because of its basis in actual events.

I'd also recommend visiting the Whitman Mission in Walla Walla, if for no other reason than to see the wagon wheel ruts and the Sager names on the gravestone. Our family did this a few years ago as part of a quick 5-day trip along the Oregon Trail, starting in Independence, Missouri. If we ever go again, I'd prefer to take at least two weeks.

I read this book recently and I absolutely loved it. It's the story of the Sager family, and their hardships and trials while on the Oregon Trail. I don't want to give the book away, but I must say that a tragic accident leaves the seven Sager children orphaned and in the care of the other members of their wagon train. The family now consists of 5 girls and 2 boys: John (13), Frank (11), Catherine (8), Elizabeth (6), Madeline (4), Louise (2), and Rosanna, only a newborn baby. They are adopted by the famous Dr. and Mrs. Whitman, where they live happily in their care for 3 years, until the tragic Whitman Massacre. That's where I'm going to stop, because if I tell you of the horrible things that happened there, I would ruin the entire story. Anyone who likes historical fiction, or even is just looking for a good book to read, I reccommend this book. So even if you don't buy it from Amazon or anywhere else, just get it from your local library, because this book is worth your while.

In large measure, this book is the history of Louis Riel, a Metis leader, and his efforts to gain recognition and independence for the Metis people. Since the ethnic group usually called Metis was closely tied to Riel, the book is also a partial history of that group.

Metis is a French word that can be translated as "mixed blood." In a narrow sense, one might think of the Metis as the offspring from intermarriage between the French and Indians (mostly Cree) of eastern Canada during the early days of the fur trade. In a practical sense, the group must be broadened to include at least Chippewa, English, and Scot parentage. In the context of the twentieth century, an even broader definition is used. However, some combination of white and Indian linage is usually a prerequisite.

This book is a classic by a legendary author of Montana history. Joseph Kinsey Howard (1906-1951) is also known for another classic, "Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome," a book considered for decades as the definitive history of Montana. Howard spent much of his short life in an area of Montana that has a significant Metis population. He understood the Metis, respected them, and spent years preparing to write "Strange Empire."

The original publication was in 1952. More recent issues include an introduction by Nicholas C. P. Vrooman, Director of the Institute for Metis Studies at the College of Great Falls, Montana. This introduction is a magnificent addition.

The Metis were primarily a product of the fur trade. Their language was a hybrid of French and Indian; definitely not English. Most of the Metis communities remained in close contact with the local Indian tribes. Many of these mixed blood people were drawn to the Red River which flows north from the present states of Minnesota and North Dakota into Canada and on to Hudson Bay.

Louis Riel had trained for priesthood, but hadn't become a priest. Despite occasional self-doubt, Riel had many characteristics of leadership. He was literate and a good speaker and, more importantly, was fluent in English. The Metis attempted to establish their own nation in the Red River Valley. Howard beautifully summarizes the Metis situation: "This conflict between the Metis and the Canadian government was not only a battle over native and Euro-American claims, but also an age-old fight between Catholicism and Protestantism, English and French, English and Irish, and English and American causes." Louis Riel and the Red River Metis faced the Canadian forces with little loss of life on either side. Some people feel that the decision of whether the United States or Canada would rule what is now central and western Canada hung in the balance. The Metis won many of their goals but came under Canadian rule. One result is that the Red River part of Canada became the province of Manitoba in 1870. However, for his part in the "rebellion," Canada exiled Riel for five years and he went to the United States.

The Metis were buffalo hunters but were significantly different from Indians. They dressed differently. Many combined their hunting with agriculture. They had their own language. They had their own culture, a melding of the cultures from which they came. They were much more efficient at commercial buffalo hunting than were the Indians. Their background in the fur trade meant that they had the weapons, hunting experience, and trading expertise needed. Synonymous with the Metis is the Red River cart. Pulled by draft animals, it had high wheels and could carry several hundred pounds. With these carts, the Metis could transport the hides, pemmican, and dried meat of many buffalo to market locations. Twice yearly, the Metis gathered in a large force to go to the buffalo herds.

As the buffalo herds dwindled, the Metis went further west for their hunts. As a result, Metis communities developed in the Turtle Mountain area of North Dakota, the Milk River country of Montana, and Saskatchewan in Canada. Later, communities developed near Lewistown and Great Falls, Montana, (note that most of these locations were undeveloped, and probably unnamed, when the Metis first arrived). Louis Riel moved westward also and became a teacher at a mission in the area of Great Falls.

In Saskatchewan, the Metis were experiencing problems dealing with the Canadian government; problems very similar to what they had experienced in the Red River country. In 1884, the Canadian Metis appealed to Riel to serve as their leader and negotiator. Riel answered the call. Ultimately, an armed conflict evolved with the Canadian military and Mounties facing the Metis and their Indian allies. This time the Metis were crushed. Louis Riel was tried and hung.

There is disagreement concerning Riel's role in Saskatchewan. Some people feel he became insane, some dispute that opinion. He felt that God guided him and when a disagreement arose with the Catholic priests, he attempted to separate the Metis from the Catholic Church. The Metis uprising in Saskatchewan was probably doomed from the beginning, but Riel made things worse by his indecision between peaceful negotiations and the use of force.

In 1982, an amendment to the Canadian constitution gave the Metis aboriginal rights. In the United States, the Metis do not have a legal relationship with the government and do not have a reservation or enjoy other rights granted to Native Americans. In each recent session of the U.S. Congress, there have been bills concerning what is often termed Montana's Landless Indians. Many of this group are Metis.

This book reads almost like a novel. It is well researched. Every book published since "Strange Empire" and containing a mention of the Metis, references Howard's book. A comprehensive and modern history of the Metis is needed but at the moment, this reviewer is unaware of anything near as useful as "Strange Empire."

The amazing story of the Metis people whose French ancestors first colonized and controlled most of North America. Louis Riel should have been a National Hero for all Canadians since without him most of the land west of Ontario would have fallen in US hands.

This book is riveting and should be required reading for history majors.

The genesis story of the Metis in North America, this book describes the evolution of the 'New Nation' and its place in continental history. Arising from the Fur Trade a new race of people, the Mixed-bloods, being descendents of Celtic Orkney and Highland Scot and Celtic Normandy and Brittany French fathers and predominantly Algonkian Cree and Chippewa mothers, create a new native North American identity. The Metis struggle to maintain their place as true descendents of aboriginal lineage while expressing the finer elements of their European paternal heritage. A finely crafted narrative of the attempt to affirm the cultural, economic, and political equity of the Metis, and all aboriginal peoples during the reconfiguration of the continent, Strange Empire is a powerful, dramitic, and epic telling of the most significant 'missing link' in our understanding of how the North American continent came to be.

A century ago, North America almost had a fourth nation, Assiniboia. That would-be nation's leader, a poet, religious zealot and one-time schoolteacher named Louis Riel, once was considered a traitor ro Canada but now is being revered and "rehabilitated" as one of the founders of the Dominion of Canada. Riel was "drafted" as leader of the Metis, "mixed blood" children of the fur trade, when Canada was reneging on its promises to these people who carried on the cultures of both European and indigenous ancentry. (Today, Celtic and French folklorists visit Metis in Western Canada and Montana to record unblemished versions of tradition folk music long dead in their original mother countries.) Howard, a legend in Montana journalism and history himself, penned his masterpiece in "Strange Empire." He gets down to the basics of the struggle for Western North America and some of the more haunting passages deal with the pyschlogical effects of such white man's diseases as smallpox and alchohol and their role in subjugating the natives a century or so ago. Riel was hanged for his insurgence, but had he been more decisive in battle, the maps -- and language patterns -- of much of North America would be much different.

First I would like to thank Amazon for making this fine book so easy to obtain. There are countless thousands of descendants of these, strong, courageous people that now live throughout the world. my son among them, being on a temporary assigment in Turkey. Many thousands more know little of the history of our people. This book should have a particular appeal to these folk. Perhaps by the reading of Mr. Howards book some will be induced to further study and research. It is a benifit to all that seek the true history of our country. These folk were a monolithic type, what happened to one could be an indicator of what happened to the society in the whole. My families have ties to several of those mentioned in this book. As an example, my grandfather was the first cousin to the wife of Louis Riel. My great grandmother was the god child of, Marie Anne Gaboury, the first white woman in the northwest. My fathers mother was baptized by, Father Lestanc. These people are mentioned in this well written book. Thank you, Melvin Beaudry Lynnwood, Washington.

Packed with interesting information about Seattle. The book must have been written before the rabbit problem started in the area around Greenlake. A chapter for a second edition? I subtract one star for the "ring-necked gull?" on page 19 and the lack of an index.

As a city-dweller I love cafes, the opera, the night-life.... but I also need the trees, the birds, and the Puget Sound. Williams' wonderful collection of notes on my hometown, Seattle, are a fun read and have helped me discover things I would have never discovered otherwise. If you live in Seattle, or even if you're coming for a visit and want an alternative to the regular tourist attractions, this book is for you. Enjoy!

I learned a lot about Seattle that I can't wait to tell visitors (guess what's under I-5?!) and got inspired to take some of the urban nature walks myself, like all the way along Thornton Creek. What I liked best was the view of what Seattle historically looked like - accompanied by really nice maps!

I just moved to Seattle a couple of weeks ago and was given this book to read. Can I just say that it is by far one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of meeting?

The author explores all sorts of natural phenomena around Seattle, from the geological quirks to the water quality to the crows. I learned a LOT about the local area, as far as the natural setting goes.

The writing is superior--it's obvious he's done his research, both in books and in the field. I can't imagine how much time he put into this. And he has an excellent sense of humor that had my giggling every couple of pages.

Highly, highly, highly recommended

I am loudly and joyously singing the praises of "The Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from Seattle"; this is the sort of book about Seattle's natural history that I was particularly searching for. Keeping mostly within the city limits, David Williams talks about natural boglands and bald eagles, the fossils and stones that make up Seattle's skyscrapers, naturally occuring plants and recent imports, tectonic plates and city planning, radiocarbon dating of the last earthquake by the trees displaced and drowned, local microclimates and how they affect the weather (Capitol Hill gets 11 inches more of rain per year than the University of Washington campus ten minutes away) -- Williams has it all, and recounts his anecdotes with a dry and wonderful sense of humor. He traces creeks and chases crows, catalogues billion year old granite, and tells anyone who will listen about the fine quarries and the fossil beds from whence they came. This is exactly the sort of local history that I wanted to hear, happily jumping from the geological aeons to the conservation programs of the last fifty years. Every Seattleite interested in history or nature should buy this book. Non-Seattleites interested in urban orienteering/nature-in-the-city are also likely to be fans. Go go David Williams.