Description: THE BANKER AND THE BLACKFOOT tells the colorful and compelling story of a real Western town in the foothills of the Rockies in the late 1800s and highlights the unusual friendships and trust that developed there between Indians and newcomers--before the government broke its Treaty promises to the first peoples.
Brief description: J. Edward Chamberlin is professor emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was Senior Research Associate with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, and has worked extensively on indigenous land claims in Canada, the United States, South Africa, and Australia. His books include "If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories? Finding Common Ground"; "Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations"; and "Island: How Islands Transform the World". He lives near Vancouver.
Review Quotes: PRAISE FOR THE BANKER AND THE BLACKFOOT:
"A well-told narrative with a cast of fascinating characters provides a true accounting of Western and frontier settlement and cultural change."--LIBRARY JOURNAL "Not just a biography, not just a social history...the book allows Chamberlin...to look back at the roots of the modern relationship between the First Nations of the plains and the white settlers...It's a wrenching account of betrayal and loss...and a reminder of our common history. There is...power in such a story."--VANCOUVER SUN "...The Banker and the Blackfoot tells a broader story through an intimate one about Cowdry...and Crop Eared Wolf. It's a story about a unique time and place, where settlers, First Nations and the Métis lived with a sense of mutual respect..."--CALGARY HERALD PRAISE FOR J. EDWARD CHAMBERLIN'S HORSE: "A paean to the horse, our ambassador between the wild and the civilized...Ambitious and sweeping."--THE WASHINGTON POST "Both as a genuine labor of love and awe and as a treasure trove of equinalia, Horse is bound to find many delighted fans."--LOS ANGELES TIMES "He brings a sweeping historical and cultural viewpoint...Chamberlin reaches back through the nearly 10,000 years during which he says horses have been domesticated."--SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL "If you can't own a horse or ride one, reading this book is a good second best. In fact, it might get you riding, so be careful."--THE GLOBE AND MAIL