The Ojibwa of Berens River, Manitoba: Ethnography into History

On its face, this is a dry ethnographic treatise. But getting beyond that, the author describes the lives and values of a people which we, civilized to the point of no return, can scarcely comprehend. I was attracted to this book after reading Eric Sevareid's classic "Canoeing with the Cree". Sevaried passed through the Berens River outpost perhaps within days of Hallowell's first visit. Hallowell takes us much deeper into Ojibwa culture than Sevareid and his friend Walt Post could have imagined. They did meet the leader of the Ojibwa band at Berens River, Chief William Berens, and many of the people, but with little understanding -- not to condemn them in any way. It is a fascinating exposure to a way of life which is now gone forever. It is difficult to comprehend a society in which there are basically no laws or law enforcement: a society held together by personal honor and respect for traditions of behavior learned from birth. The Ojibwa living east of Lake Winnipeg lived in unfathomable remoteness and isolation except for the band at Berens River which is right on the lake. Hallowell and William Berens visited isolated interior bands as far as 350 miles up river. The river itself provided the only access; the journey took weeks. Berens River, Manitoba still exists. You can catch a glimpse of it on Google earth. As I write, it is 16ºF with snow expected. Forget about seeing the weather radar, only a satellite image is available.

And I thought I knew the Ojibwa. Hah. I'll tell you one thing. If you're ever going to be on the Berens River in Manitoba with a few days to kill and plan on meeting people from the Ojibwa Nation, well you've just got to have this great book. The description of the Ojibwa diet alone is worth the cover price. And the index is to die for. Surprised it hasn't yet been made into a major motion picture.