Maps and Dreams, Paperback/Hugh Brody

A wonderful book, full of travel and people. Most of all, it is superb anthropology, challenging many of the accepted notions about the lives of hunters. Paul Theroux Fascinating descriptions of daily life and the Indians dreams of hunting trails and of heaven alternate with a perceptive commentary on the history, politics and social conditions of northeastern British Columbia. Two realities emerge: the rapacious dreams and plans of the white man, and the maps the Indians made to demonstrate the tenacity of a hunting and trapping economy. Conflicts of interest and the collision of points of view are reflected in the structure of the book. Odd-numbered chapters are a narrative of the Indians in their hunting territory of forests and foothills. The even-numbered chapters explore how Indians must compete with resource and recreational industries for an ever-greater piece of the North. Drawing on the authors experiences of living with Beaver Indians, this book makes a significant contribution to social science and history, without depriving the reader of the pure enjoyment of fine writing and storytelling.