Not First in Nobody's Heart: The Life Story of a Contemporary Chippewa

Could not put this book down. Met Ron Paquin in St. Ignace in 1992, and this autobiography fits the personality of the man I met as he was building a canoe. The book is well written and unforgettable. Why has co-author Doherty not pursued his study of Ojibwa?

I met Ron working on baskets in St. Ignace and was struck by his quiet, cheerful openness and impact. I was then surprised to find this book, which he co-wrote, in a bookstore in town. I come across many books and takes on culture in my work as an alternative-outdoor-culture publisher. This may well be the ONLY *candid* book about a modern Indian's life and times, especially one that emphasizes fishing. I'm grateful that it came out of the community of St. Ignace, a distinctive fresh-air town that's located at the Mighty Mac, the bridge between our two peninsulas. NA fishing is a controversy in Michigan. But until now the only candor we've heard is complaining from sportsfishing. Ron is to be commended for putting his life before the public eye, warts and all. Candor is part of a great literary tradition which is dying out due to liability and career concerns. Prof. Doherty is likewise to be commended for going against the grain of modern academia and producing something of relevance. Modern folk culture is perfectly valid in anthropology, but it is neglected, perhaps because it hits too close to home. Sadly, it appears that the publishing trade has seen fit to withold support, as I note that Ron now prints this himself. As usual in our society, the best things are neglected, and if you want to do it, you have to do it yourself, as the saying goes. An equally rare and refreshing (self-published) look at a white man's life in home-based commercial fishing is "Armour: A Lake Superior Fisherman," by P. Oikarinen, of Calumet (906) 337-5062---a tale of friendship, work and danger, full of great photos. The only other life-story of Great Lakes family commercial fishing I've found is "Pity the Poor Fish then Man: 50 Years of Upper Great Lakes History, True Stories of Commercial Fishing, 1930-1980," C.R. Gearhart (also self-published...of course).

Having almost finished my native american family history, I had to read this book. Ron Paquin, I found out, is my 5th cousin. My Father was also a commercial fisherman, though not under the treaty. It was like going back in history!! Makes you appreciate a loving and close knit family. My hope is that he will follow up with another book so we know how he has fared in the rough waters of the Straits of Mackinaw.

The Japanese have, I am told, the good custom of naming some of their most honored traditional craftsmen to the rank of "living national treasures." The co-author of this book, Ron Paquin, should be recognized as an serious American cultural figure of this type. He is a master canoebuilder who is a living link to the close relationship which some of his people have to the Upper Great Lakes. He knows, and loves, the water in ways that some of us can only dream about.The previous reviewer who wrote that this book is "nothing to get excited about" just doesn't get it. Read it and you will find out about a man who, like all of us, is lost and confused in some ways, and who is extraordinarily talented and courageous in other ways. I want to tell everyone who reads this review of this courage, so that we will all know it and give Mr. Paquin the respect which he deserves.

Paquin printed a second edition at his own expense, obtainable through Fort Algonquin in St. Ignace, MI. (open daily, 10-5 EST, tel: 906 643-9407; FAX 906 643-7985) The author is highly visible in the Straits Area (Mackinac County) and regional pow wow circuit, selling his crafts and this title. The story itself is gripping. Just the fact that an illiterate artisan of Ojibwa extraction is a published author only begins to introduce readers to the ongoing struggle of today's Native America people. Ron Paquin's beginnings couldn't be more humble, and yet he's been at the center of controversy...even on a national level...his whole life. He was a kingpin in gaining Native Fishing Rights for local tribes, and continues as an outspoken activist for America's first people. Paquin's lifestyle and way of speaking captured the interest of a university professor who worked years to assemble his recorded voice into a coherent story. Reading the story, you'll see why the biographer was willing to spend so much time and effort to capture this tale! As an aside, Paquin made alot of enemies in the local area by recording his thoughts...you will see why...his tongue has no breaks at all. Personally, I've read it over and over again, and know other people have done the same.