A multidisciplinary examination of the historical and contemporary situation of Native peoples in Canada, this book seeks to inegrate knowledge from both scholarly and indigenous perspectives. Beginning with an investigation into the origins of the First Nations, it goes on to consider the nature of indigenous societies before contact with Europeans, and the changes that accompanied the expansion of settler populations. The major part of the book, however, focuses on contemporary affairs, with specific attention to political and constitutional issues; economic activities; and the cultural and spiritual expressions of indigenous values. At the root of this analysis is the authors' contention that, despite the fundamental contradictions between Native cultures and value systems and the European forms to which they have had to adapt, the First Nations have survived and are building a future - and that the dominant society would do well to listen to the wisdom they have acquired.