The Children of Aataentsic
A History of the Huron People to 1660
Description
Trigger's work integrates insights from archaeology, history, ethnology, linguistics, and geography. This wide knowledge allows him to show that, far from being a static prehistoric society quickly torn apart by European contact and the fur trade, almost every facet of Iroquoian culture had undergone significant change in the centuries preceding European contact. He argues convincingly that the European impact upon native cultures cannot be correctly assessed unless the nature and extent of precontact change is understood. His study not only stands Euro-American stereotypes and fictions on their heads, but forcefully and consistently interprets European and Indian actions, thoughts, and motives from the perspective of the Huron culture. The Children of Aataentsic revises widely accepted interpretations of Indian behaviour and challenges cherished myths about the actions of some celebrated Europeans during the "heroic age" of Canadian history. In a new preface, Trigger describes and evaluates contemporary controversies over the ethnohistory of eastern Canada.
Reviews
"Unforgettable drama and a fascinating disquisition on cultural adaptation ... a work of such historical imagination and literary quality that Trigger deserves to rank with Harold Innis, Northrop Frye, and Marshall McLuhan ..." Boyce Richardson, Saturday Night. "Indispensable reading for anyone interested in Amerindian or early Canadian history. Cornelius J. Jaenen, The Canadian Historical Review.