Reviews

Indians at Work

Daniel Francis

From opposite ends of the country come two important books about Indians: one old and one new. The old is a reissue of Rolf Knight's Indians at Work (New Star). First published in 1978, the book traces the involvement of British Columbia Native people in the wage economy which arrived with the white newcomers. Knight's book was subversive in its time for suggesting that aboriginal people were quite capable of adjusting to new economic opportunities, given the chance. Twenty years later, it remains the only study of the subject. The original version of Indians was not a pretty sight: muddy photographs, dense type, paper the consistency of hand towels. Most important, it had no index, making it difficult to consult as a reference book. The new edition is updated, revised, expanded and indexed. I'll save my old, yellowing copy for sentimental reasons, but I'll actually consult the new version, and when I do I'll thank the people at New Star for their thoughtfulness.

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Daniel Francis

Daniel Francis is a writer and historian. He is the author of two dozen books, including The Imaginary Indian: The Image of the Indian in Canadian Culture (Arsenal Pulp Press). He lives in North Vancouver. Read more of his work at danielfrancis.ca.

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