A fascinating picture of the industrious life of the Ojibwa before the coming of the white man. The Indians lived in an intimate relationship with the forest and the spiritual forces they found in nature. They were completely dependent on wild game, trees, and plants for their food, their clothing, and their dwellings, and they realized that it was in their best interest to protect these things, to ensure their livelihood year after year and for the generations to come.

The author traces the outlines of this Indian civilization—the Ojibwa's social organization, family life, the quest for food, their handicrafts, and the world of the supernatural with which they lived in such intimacy. The result is an authoritative and entertaining account. The book contains 8 photographs, 25 line drawings and two-colour end-paper map.