A Little History of My Forest Life: An Indian-White Autobiography [Paperback]

Eliza Morrison (Author), Victoria Brehm (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

Written in 1894 and recently recovered from the archives of the University of Minnesota, this incredible autobiography tells the story of a Chippewa–Scots French woman from Madeline Island in Lake Superior. The child and grandchild of fur traders, Eliza Morrison tells of a difficult and beautiful life carved out of the wilderness—the “starving time” with her husband John on a homestead in northern Wisconsin; her travels by boat, dog sled, and on foot; and the joy of making maple syrup in the spring. Generously illustrated with photographs, drawings, and maps, Métis culture comes alive as Native American lore and history are blended with homesteading stories in true mixed-blood fashion, giving a 19th-century woman’s view of the Wisconsin Death March, the Dream Dance, and the Chippewa-Dakota War as well as a personal look at the daily life of a fur trading family. Also included is a glossary of Chippewa words.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Born in Wisconsin in the mid-19th century to a mixed-race family of Chippewa, Scots and French, Eliza Morrison wrote her autobiography in a series of letters sent to her former employers in the Midwest. A Little History of My Forest Life: An Indian-White Autobiography, publishing them for the first time, giving a vivid, sometimes witty account of life in the mixed race ("m‚tis") communities in the Great Lakes region. Morrison is the descendant of a long line of fur trading, French or Scottish men who took Chippewa wives and lived either among whites or other m‚tis families in typically bilingual settlements. Edited and introduced by scholar Victoria Brehm, the book includes accounts of the Wisconsin Death March and the Chippewa-Dakota War.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"For anyone interested in Great Lakes history, the . . . experiences of frontier women, . . . this book is not to be missed." -- Traverse City Record Eagle

"Fortuitous find led to... three years of careful scholarly work... for general readers and collections that deal with Native Americans." -- Kliatt

"This is an utterly absorbing book, a compelling read. . . . What a lucky find!" -- Thunder-Bay Chronicle Journal

"This literary gem . . . illustrates how mixed-blood people formed a culture apart from both Indians and whites." -- Choice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Ladyslipper Press, Inc.; 1 edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970260628
• ISBN-13: 978-0970260628
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #545,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Painstakenly Researched Work, January 24, 2004

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This review is from: A Little History of My Forest Life: An Indian-White Autobiography (Paperback)

Although an almost lifetime resident of Wisconsin, I had no idea until I read this book that Indians and European had intermarried to such a great extent in the state, and the ensuing Metis, or mixed, culture that sprang up as a result. As the years went by, most of the Metis became absorbed into the "mainstream" American society, although some chose to live with the Indians on the reservations. Some of this absorption happened naturally, some of it was forced when the government forced them to make choices.

This book has a format that I have not encountered yet, but it works very well. It consists of authentic letters between Eliza and an acquaintance of the family, explaining what was happening in her life at the time, as well as bringing in other aspects of the area's culture and history. Victoria Brehm has only modified the letters where necessary to assist in comprehenstion with items such as sentence notation and paragraph placement since some of the text was apparently very long and run-on. She has even kept in tact many of the spelling errors.

What a person absolutely must do when they read this book, is to immediately refer to the backnotes when one sees the annotation in the letter text. Ms. Brehm has done an absolutely impeccable job of putting historical reference around the letters, with her sources noted in case one wants to research with further detail. Putting context around the events Eliza is writing about makes her letters even more powerful. Eliza writes very simply, but from her heart. You can feel her pain and anguish when she writes about the accidental death of one of her children, and her frustrations pertaining to the goverment treatment of Indians and Metis.

If you are at all interested in the history of Wisconsin, or the Great Lakes area Native American or Metis culture, this book is a must read.