People Of The Deer (Seal Books) [Mass Market Paperback]

Farley Mowat (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1984 | Series: Seal Books

THEY WERE IN HARMONY WITH THE LAND BUT THEY WERE ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION
Sixty years ago, the Ihalmiut numbered 7,000. When Farely Mowat visited them, their population had dwindled to forty. For two years, Mowat shared their hard life--the bleak winters, the shortages of food, the fervent struggle to withstand the intrusion of white men--and came to understand them. Here, Farely Mowat indicts those who have abused the Ihalmiut. But, foremost, he pays tribute to the last of the People of the Deer--the proud, valiant Eskimos, desperately trying to survive.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A beautifully written book...Mowat's challenge cannot be ignored."
-Saturday Night

From the Publisher

"A beautifully written book...Mowat's challenge cannot be ignored."
-Saturday Night

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Seal Books (June 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0770422543
• ISBN-13: 978-0770422547
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,904,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable first book from promising author!, April 3, 2000

By 

Owen Hughes (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People Of The Deer (Seal Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

First published in 1947 and available in a wide variety of editions since then, Farley Mowat's first and most distant book is still remarkably readable in the world of the 21st century. It concerns one of the stranger human sagas of the last century, that of the discovery and destruction of a remote Inuit society, the Ihalmiut, in Canada's north. The setting of the book is far enough away in time for us to marvel at how little things have changed since. The contemptuous attitude of European man for the aborigine seems hardly to have altered over the years. We are still hard put to understand the needs of the first peoples and how to answer them.

Farley Mowat has combined a fine sensitivity for the natural environment with a sharp eye for the details of man's place within it. It must be exceedingly rare in the history of anthropology that such an inexperienced investigator has taken such pains to get to the source of his information. Mowat lived among the Ihalmiut for over a year to write the book. During that time he witnessed the rapid deterioration of the small group which remained, and tried to examine the causes of their decline. With very deft prose for such a young writer, he points out the difference between the intentions and the actions of the European discoverers of The People (as they refer to themselves) and the consequences of such disparity. The Ihalmiut were exploited in much the same way as any other tribal band found wandering by the early explorers. However, as Mowat points out, this was an exceptional group which had survived the extreme rigours of a barren land (known to us simply as The Barrens) for so many generations, only to be felled by contact with the very race which might have provided them with so much assistance.

The Ihalmiut are long gone from their homeland but their story serves to remind us of our often difficult relationship with the land and the people on it. Perhaps, as a race of city-dwellers, we need to consider our place in the natural environment more than ever. Mowat's work is a just accounting of where we stand in relationship to nature. Nor does he suggest that we should all go and live in the tundra. Yet People of the Deer is a source of considerable inspiration for those now ready to reflect on the unbalancing effect of contemporary values.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes! A life-afirming wonderous book!, August 3, 2001

By 

Cera (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People of the Deer (Hardcover)

This book is magic. You will never think about a small band of Indians as statistics again. This book does volumes to make people of our society really feel what goes on in traditional societies. To feel jealous of their solidarity. To feel unloved by our own. It's great! READ IT.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Poignant And Enduring Commentary, August 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: People of the Deer (Hardcover)

Farley Mowat tells how the Ihalmiut people of the Arctic have struggled since their first contact with the white man. This is an enduring reminder to us all of how western civilization remains aloof to the plight of races it has exploited. Poignant and powerful, it should be mandatory reading in all schools and colleges.