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Title: People of the Deer (Death of a People)
ISBN: 0786714786
Author:
Farley Mowat
Publicate Date: 2004-12-20
Publish: 2004-12-20
List Price: $14.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $8.23
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $6.58
Amazon Merchant Price: $14.20
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Microcosm of aboriginal disappearance
"People of the Deer" is apparently Farley Mowat's first book and one of his best. He lived for a year amongst the Ihalmiut, an Inuit people Mowat refers to as "People of the Deer" although they regarded themselves, as have many aborigonal people, as simple "The People."
They are people of the deer--caribou--because, unlike other Inuit groups they are not sea hunters but, instead predators of the migratory caribou herds. The herds have declined in numbers but not as much as the Ihalmiut. From a population high of around 7,000 they had, by Mowat's time, declined to only 40. Why? The impact of European Civilization is too simple of a generalization but, in the Ihalmiut, a people almost extinct, we see the fate of millions.
Native Americans have little or no immunity to Old World diseases. You probably don't have to go much deeper than this. Sure there was alcohol and cultural deterioration but, first and foremost, there is disease. It wasn't deliberate but it came when the first white man and/or African stepped shore in the Americas. Probably the Inhalmiut were slightly luckier than many. Many tribes died out without a trace. Estimates [read '1491'] that as many as 90% of native americans died as the result of unintentionally introduced European diseases.
Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico
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2: Beautiful Novel of the North
Farley Mowat is a Canadian National treasure.
This novel is set in the northern territories of Canada. It move within the people of the inuit. These inland eskimos are an indigeounous people whose population has been diminishing. The influence on the environment as well as the impact on the caribou herds has been putting these people at risk to where they now near extinction and a loss of their way of life.
Beautifully written, the tundra and the barrens comes to life.
A wonderful read!
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3: Concept is correct
The concept is correct anyway. These people were led to their demise by three factors: the church, commercialization (HBC), and the Canadian government. Mowat claims he spent two years living among these people. This is doubted by some. I've traveled in some of the areas that this book takes place. Not everyone has great things to say about this author. One person I talked to called him a historical novelist. He has other nicknames.
But while it is questionable that all the events described in this book and its' successor (The Desperate People) actually took place, at least he got the main theme correct.
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4: The worst book EVER...
What ever you do, do not waste your precious life reading this book...
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5: Yes! A life-afirming wonderous book!
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.
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