The Men of the Last Frontier

by Grey Owl

Overview

In 1931 Grey Owl published his first book, The Men of the Last Frontier, a work that is part memoir, part history of the vanishing wilderness in Canada, and part compendium of animal and First Nations tales and lore. A passionate, compelling appeal for the protection and preservation of the natural environment pervades Grey Owl’s words and makes his literary debut still ring with great relevance in the 21st century.

By the 1920s, Canada’s outposts of adventure had been thrust farther and farther north to the remote margins of the country. Lumbermen, miners, and trappers invaded the primeval forests, seizing on nature’s wealth with soulless efficiency. Grey Owl himself fled before the assault as he witnessed his valleys polluted with sawmills, his hills dug up for hidden treasure, and wildlife, particularly his beloved beavers, exterminated for quick fortunes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781406736236
Publisher:	Herzberg Press
Publication date:	11/26/2016
Pages:	287
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Grey Owl (1888-1938), an Englishman, immigrated to Canada as Archibald Belaney in 1906 and quickly constructed an identity as a Native, assuming the Ojibwa name Wa-sha-quon-asin. He was world-renowned for his work as Canada’s pioneer conservationist and spread his message of preservation through multiple bestsellers, including Tales of an Empty Cabin and The Adventures of Sajo and Her Beaver People.

James Polk has written on Grey Owl and other animal-story writers in articles, reviews, and a book, Wilderness Writers. The former editorial director of House of Anansi Press, he was publishing policy adviser in the Ontario government and is the author of a novel, short stories, and a play. He lives in Toronto.

Table of Contents

Introduction James Polk 7

Original Publisher's Note 27

Prologue 31

I The Vanguard 33

II The Land of Shadows 59

III The Trail 79

IV The Still-Hunt 113

V On Being Lost 139

VI The Fall of the Leaf 163

VII The Tale of the Beaver People 175

VIII The Altar of Mammon 199

IX The House of McGinnis 223

X The Trail of Two Sunsets 239

Epilogue 285

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

The features of this book such as pictures, poetry quotations by Lord Byron, Longfellow, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc. and the order of presentation, produce a readable and informative book that is not designed as a textbook, but could easily be used as one.

Editorial Reviews

"Many of his stories... are hair raising and heart breaking."

From the Publisher

The features of this book such as pictures, poetry quotations by Lord Byron, Longfellow, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc. and the order of presentation, produce a readable and informative book that is not designed as a textbook, but could easily be used as one.

Lethbridge Herald