Smoke from Their Fires: The Life of a Kwakiutl Chief Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)An excellent book on the life of a First Nations chief at the turn of the century. This book was very intersting to read as a Kwakiutl person. (The term used today is Kwakwakawakw) It allowed myself to learn about the daily life of a typical Kwakiutl Chief during the late 1800's and early 1900's when the first "white" settlers arrived and established a fort. The book does have some faults or drawbacks, as the editor/author writes how the Kwakiutl man spoke English, which is not his first language. At some points the diction can be hard to understand. Other than this minor flaw, the book acurately portrays a young man's life and how he must adapt to the changing world around him. Another book on the same subject, but during a later time period (1920s-1960s), to read is "Guests Never Leave Hungry : The Autobiography of James Sewid, a Kwakiutl Indian" Both books are a must read for anyone interested in Aboriginal life as it changed with the coming of "white" settlers.

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First published more than a half century ago, this bookdocuments the remarkable life story of a chief of the once-powerful KwakiutlIndian nation that lived on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. Told inthe first person, readers are not only introduced to the life history of a highly intelligent Kwakiutl individual from the cradle almost to the grave, but are also presented with a complete sketch of indigenous culture as seen through the eyes of the informant. Accounts such as this are valuable. In no other way can a reader today achieve such deep insight into the actual functioning of a now-vanished culture. Charley Nowell's fascinating story, told at the age of 70, is prefaced by a useful forty-page introduction to Kwakiutl society.