I grew up in the pacific north-west and experienced many of these stories as a child. This was a wonderful book to bring back most of those memories. It is well written. Simple yet engaging. Once I started I couldn't put it down. I've since used it as a teaching resourse in social studies and will be ordering other copies for fellow teachers I've shown it to and were equally impressed. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in native legends or mythology.

I brought this book on a trip to Vancouver and Victoria and read it in the evenings after returning to my hotels. As a European American, I found it indispensable to understanding much of the art I saw on vacation (especially Totem Poles). This book relates many of the best known Haida stories, including those of the noble, tragic Bear; the intrepid, versatile human fisherman-hunter Nanasigmit and above all the amoral but always fascinating Raven. Almost all the stories are simple, yet strike a deep chord. Add this to "Looking at Totem Poles" and "Kwakuitl Legends", both also reasonably priced, and you'll be well on your way to understanding the basics of First Nations culture.

Anyone who knows and loves the work of Haida artist, Bill Reid, will be fascinated by this behind-the-scenes account of the modelling and casting of 'Spirit of Haida Gwai'. Modelled first in clay, then cast in sections into bronze, the completed work is an enormous canoe full of figures from the mythology of the Haida Indians of the Northwest Coast of North America. The figures of the Eagle, the Raven, Bear Mother, Mouse Woman and Dogfish Woman are exquisitely carved in a style which is unmistakably that of the Northwest Coast, yet it also has a distinctly contemporary feel that reflects Reid's ability to draw upon his heritage while remaining creative and original in his work. The construction process is documented in detail with over eighty black and white photographs, while the text explores the symbolism and meaning of these tantalising figures from Haida mythology who share the canoe and a common cultural ancestry. The making of this wonderful sculpture must surely be one of the greatest achievements of Reid's long and successful career as a highly talented and original sculptor and jeweller. For those who know Reid's work this book is a must, providing a fascinating record of his working methods. For those who have not yet encountered Reid's work, this book provides a golden opportunity to meet some of the characters which dominate his work. All will marvel at Bill Reid's skill as a sculptor in producing this beautiful, immense, and impressive piece of work, a process which has been beautifully and sensitively recorded in the pages of this book. (Reviewed by M.Simpson