Beaver, Bison, Horse - by R Grace Morgan

About the Book

"Indigenous Peoples of the North American Plains were ecologists of the highest order. And then the horse came and changed everything. [This book presents] an interdisciplinary account of the ecological relationships the Indigenous nations of the Plains had to the beaver, bison, horse, and their habitat prior to contact. Morgan's research shows an ecological understanding that sustained Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years"--

Book Synopsis

Indigenous Peoples of the North American Plains were ecologists of the highest order-- then the horse came and changed everything

Beaver, Bison, Horse is an interdisciplinary account of the ecological relationships the Indigenous nations of the Plains had to the beaver, bison, horse, and their habitat prior to contact. Morgan's research shows an ecological understanding that sustained Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, with critical information on how the beaver manage water systems and protect communities from drought in the Northern Great Plains.

Morgan's work is a game-changer.

For the first time in print, her important research now appears with a foreword by James Daschuk, bestselling and award-winning author of Clearing the Plains, and an afterword by Cristina Eisenberg, author of The Carnivore Way and The Wolf's Tooth.

Review Quotes

"A fascinating analysis of the ecological knowledge and religious practices of Indigenous people."--Rosalyn LaPier, author of Invisible Reality: Storytellers, Storytakers, and the Supernatural World of the Blackfeet

"An early example of interdisciplinary research, Morgan's work continues to offer insights into traditional life ways on the Northern Plains. Brilliant essays by James Daschuk and Cristina Eisenberg add to the significance of this book."--Candace Savage, author of Prairie: A Natural History of the Heart of North America

"An important book. The detail on beaver habitat manipulation. ..is rich and nuanced and cannot be found elsewhere."--Norman Henderson, author of Rediscovering the Great Plains

"Morgan's Beaver, Bison, Horse is a brilliant, thorough investigation of the powerful ties that bind humans to their wild brethren on the Northern Plains. In synthesizing traditional knowledge with her own groundbreaking fieldwork, Morgan's book serves as both a meticulous reconstruction of the precolonial world and a road map to the restoration of North America's keystone species. Like a beaver pond spilling its banks, this book overflows with ecological insight and wisdom."--Ben Goldfarb, author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

"Morgan's work takes archaeological interpretations beyond basic descriptions of past technologies and foodways to considerations of how Indigenous plains peoples interacted with and maintained their lands--and why they occupied their lands as they did. Further, Eisenberg's final chapter brings Morgan's work into a contemporary context."--David Meyer, Professor Emeritus, Department of Archeology and Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan

"R. Grace Morgan's important study of the impact of beaver, bison, and horse on the lifeways of Indigenous people of the Northern Great Plains remains relevant in our times. Morgan deftly analyzes the long-term ecological history of this region, where animals, humans, fire, water, and drought have struck important interrelationships. Her insights can significantly influence our assessments of the economic trajectories and environmental sustainability of the Great Plains in the modern age."--George Colpitts, Pemmican Empire: Food, Trade, and the Last Bison Hunts in the North American Plains

About the Author

Grace Morgan (1934-2016) was a life-long scholar and researcher. Trained in anthropology, Morgan brought a unique ecological understanding to her field, studying the patterns of sustainability that marked Indigenous Plains First Nations' relationships to beaver and bison resources.

James Daschuk, author of Clearing the Plains, is an associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina and a researcher with the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit.

Cristina Eisenberg is a Smithsonian Research Associate, a Black Earth Institute Scholar, and the author of The Carnivore Way and The Wolf's Tooth.