Canada's native people have inhabited the land since the Ice Age and were already accomplished traders, artisans, farmers, and marine hunters when Europeans first reached their shores. Contact between natives and European explorers and settlers initially presented an unprecedented period of growth and opportunity. But the two vastly different cultures soon clashed. This revised and updated edition charts the history of Canada's native peoples from first contact to current land claims. The result is a fascinating chronicle that spans 12,000 years and culminates in the headlines of today.