Ebook: Drum Songs: Glimpses of Dene History

Drum Songs examines the history of the Dene, one of the aboriginal peoples of Canada's western subarctic, from ancient times to the present. Using a range of sources that includes archival documents, oral testimony, archaeological findings, linguistic studies, and folk traditions, Kerry Abel shows that previous ethnocentric interpretations of Canadian history have been excessively narrow. She then reveals how the assumptions which supported those interpretations were reflected in government policy, leading to its continual failure. Her sympathetic treatment of the history of the Dene traces topics such as the impact of the fur trade and their ancient history, interaction with Christian missionaries, and evolving relations with the Canadian federal government