"This book tells the life stories of five Canadian Indigenous women, reconstructed using a variety of historical sources. Each biography is drawn from a different native culture, spread geographically from Saskatchewan to Newfoundland; collectively the stories cover the period from 1656 to 1922. This path breaking book shatters stereotypes by showing the power that native women had in their communities. The images of a squaw and Indian princess can now be replaced by a more realistic view of women diverse in personality and life history. Readers of this book will find the variety and richness of these women's lives to be truly absorbing"--Back cover.