ABOUT THE BOOK: In 1887, Blackbird (author) published this book. The work was published in Michigan. The book was among the first authoritative accounts of the Ottawa and Chippewa peoples ever published. The book covers not only historical facts but daytoday details of how the Ottawa and Chippewa hunted, fished and trapped before the coming of whites. Blackbird explains many of the traditional beliefs and cultural practices of the two tribes. Because the author was himself a native American, the book is free of the bias commonly found in books by white authors of the period. Finally, the book includes a basic grammar of the Ottawa and Chippewa languages.