For many thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, Michigan's native peoples, the Anishnabeg, thrived in the forests and along the shores of the Great Lakes. Theirs were cultures in delicate social balance and in economic harmony with the natural order. Rites of Conquest details the struggles of Michigan Indians - the Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi, and their neighbors - to maintain unique traditions in the wake of contact with Euro-Americans. The French quest for furs, the colonial aggression of the British, and the invasion of native homelands by American settlers is the backdrop for this fascinating saga of their resistance and accommodation to the new social order. Minavavana's victory at Fort Michilimackinac, Pontiac's attempts to expel the British, Pokagon's struggle to maintain a Michigan homeland, and Big Abe Le Blanc's fight for fishing rights are a few of the many episodes recounted in the pages of this book. -- from back cover.

The history of Michigan is a fascinating story of breathtaking geography enriched by an abundant water supply, of bold fur traders and missionaries who developed settlements that grew into major cities, of ingenious entrepreneurs who established thriving industries, and of celebrated cultural icons like the Motown sound. It is also the story of the exploitation of Native Americans, racial discord that resulted in a devastating riot, and ongoing tensions between employers and unions. Michigan: A History of Explorers, Entrepreneurs, and Everyday People recounts this colorful past and the significant role the state has played in shaping the United States. Well-researched and engagingly written, the book spans from Michigan’s geologic formation to important 21st-century developments in a concise but detailed chronicle that will appeal to general readers, scholars, and students interested in Michigan’s past, present, and future.

Myths of Hiawatha, Oneata, the red race in America.

On June 2, 1763, the Ojibwe captured Michigan's Fort Michilimackinac from the British, creating a crisis among the Native people of the region and effectively halting the fur trade. Beyond Pontiac's Shadow examines the circumstances leading up to the attack and the course of events in the aftermath that resulted in the regarrisoning of the fort and the restoration of the fur trade.

Contemporary Great Lakes Pow Wow Regalia showcases the work of contemporary Native American Indian artists who make and wear pow wow dance regalia in the Great Lakes region. In addition to photographs taken by Minnie Wabanimkee, the publication contains a series of essays on dance and dance regalia and a glossary of terms by Cameron Wood, Charlotte Heth, Arnie Parish, Thurman Bear, Frances Vincent, and Marclay Crampton.

The image many people hold of Native Americans today can be attributed largely to Edward Curtis, a late nineteenth-century American photographer whose work often was staged to show Native subjects in full regalia and without markers of cultural adaptation. Native Enough aims to dispel the stereotypical image of Natives so heavily influenced by Curtis. This collection of black-and-white portraits alongside interview excerpts provides a poignant look at the faces of Native college students, proving that stereotypes fall short in the faces of Native diversity.