This is the catalogue of a First Nations exhibit at the McCord Museum at McGill University, Montreal. The exhibition, which opened in 1992, consists of three subexhibits: a Haudenosaunee site in what is now downtown Montreal; Mi’gmaw culture; and life in Nunavi (Inuit villages in Quebec’s arctic). The catalogue uses essays and photos of artifacts to introduce these three related themes and to provide a context for the artifacts.

The bilingual text gives the history of the areas from which the exhibits are drawn, and a summary of the archaeological work that led to the artifacts’ becoming part of the McCord Museum collection. The objects range from pottery shards, bone tools, and pipe fragments to decorative items such as pendants, quillwork, and game pieces. Some clothing and ceremonial costumes are included. Enough cultural and social history is provided to help the reader visualize the production and use of the objects. The book also includes five detailed essays that, taken together, make the catalogue a useful reference work on the early Native culture of Quebec and the bordering Maritime and Arctic areas. The essay on Mi’gmaw life and the numerous photos of Mi’gmaw crafts deserve special note, as the Mi’gmaw are one of the most highly skilled, yet least known, of Canada’s Native groups.

While any exhibition catalogue is most meaningful to readers who have visited the show in person, this one can stand alone as a reference work for anyone interested in archaeology and the material culture of Canada’s Fist Nations.