This book is a collection of articles featuring the Algonquin people. The Algonquin, whose population number 7,000, occupy today the Ottawa valley and the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region in Quebec. Nine authors have written as many essays dealing with different traditional and contemporary issues.

Marc Cote begins with an article on Abitibi-Temiscamingue prehistory. He is followed by Maurice Ratelle who discusses the location of the Algonquins from 1534 to 1650. Jacques Frenette then concentrates on the land use of the River Desert Band (Maniwaki). The same band is also the object of another article by Pauline Joly de Lothiniere on historical narratives regarding wampum belts. The XXth century provides the context for all the other articles. Thus Daniel Clement and Noeline Martin present Algonquin legends and customs collected in the 1940s in the Upper Gatineau regions. Sue Roark-Calnek describes a wedding ceremony which took place at Lac-Rapide in 1988. Roger Spielmann examines a bear-dream account recorded in Pikogan in 1985. Christiane Montpetit presents a picture of some Algonquin and Metis residing in Val-d'Or in 1985. A thematic bibliography completes the book and should enable other researchers to further explore several aspects not dealt with in the present group of essays.