Originally published in 1975, this important book is now back in print in a revised and updated edition. Since its first publication it has become a classic of revisionist history. Bringing a Native viewpoint to the settlement of the West, Howard Adam's book shook its readers. What Native people had to say for themselves was quite different from the convenient picture of history that even the most sympathetic books by white authors had presented.

Until Adams's book, the cultural, historical, and psychological aspects of colonialism for Native people had not been explored in depth. In Prison of Grass Adams objects to the popular historical notion that Natives were warring savages, without government, seeking to be civilized. He contrasts the official history found in the federal government's documents with the unpublished history of the Indian and Métis people. In this new edition Howard Adams brings the latest statistics to bear on his arguments and provides a new Preface. (From Fifth House Books)

Howard Adams was a prominent Métis leader and activist. He was a great-grandson of Louis Riel, and regularly appeared on CBC throughout his life. He died in 2001 at the age of 80. He is also the author of The Education of Canadians 1800-1867 and Tortured People: The Politics of Colonization.