The Micmac Indians of Eastern Canada was first published in 1955. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions.
The culture of an Indian tribe over a period of 300 years is described in this comprehensive ethnographic study by a husband and wife anthropologist team. The earliest accounts of the Micmac Indians were written by seventeenth-century French explorers and missionaries. These give historical perspective to the work done by the Wallises, whose research is based on field trips that bridged a 40-years span. Dr. Wallis first observed the Micmac tribes in 1911-12. He and Mrs. Wallis revisited them in 1950 and 1953, assessing the changes in material cultural and in orientation, drives, and motivations. In addition, they have preserved a rich collection of Micmac folktales and traditions, published as a separate section of the book.