About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
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Description
The Dane-zaa people have lived in BC’s Peace River area for thousands of years. Elders documented the people’s history and worldview in oral narratives and passed them on through storytelling. Language loss, however, threatens to break the bonds of knowledge transmission.
At the request of the Doig River First Nation, anthropologists Robin and Jillian Ridington present a history of the Dane-zaa people based on oral histories collected over a half century of fieldwork. These powerful stories span the full length of history, from the story of creation to the fur trade, from the arrival of missionaries to modern land claim cases. Elders document key events as they explain the very nature of the universe.
The Dane-zaa were one of the last nations to experience the effects of colonialism. Where Happiness Dwells not only preserves their traditional knowledge for future generations, it also tells the inspiring story of how they learned to succeed in the modern world.
Contributor Notes
Robin Ridington is a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of British Columbia and has worked with the Dane-zaa First Nations since the 1960s. Jillian Ridington is an ethnographer and researcher who has worked with the Dane-zaa First Nations since 1978. Their books about the Dane-zaa include Robin's Trail To Heaven: Knowledge and Narrative in a Northern Native Community, and a co-authored book, When You Sing It Now, Just Like New: First Nations Poetics, Voices and Representations.
Awards
- Winner, K.D. Srivastava Prize, UBC Press
- Commended, Aboriginal History Prize, Canadian Historical Association
