In this deeply engaging oral history, Gidigaa Migizi (Doug Williams), Anishinaabe elder, teacher and mentor to Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, recounts the history of the Michi Saagiig Nisnaabeg, tracing through personal and historical events, and presenting what manifests as a crucial historical document that confronts entrenched institutional narratives of the history of the region. Edited collaboratively with Simpson, the book uniquely retells pivotal historical events that have been conventionally unchallenged in dominant historical narratives, while presenting a fascinating personal perspective in the singular voice of Migizi, whose rare body of knowledge spans back to the 1700s. With this wealth of knowledge, wit and storytelling prowess, Migizi recounts key moments of his personal history, connecting them to the larger history of the Anishinaabeg and other Indigenous communities.

Doug Williams (Gidigaa Migizi) is Anishinaabe and former Chief of Mississauga's Curve Lake First Nation. He is currently Co Director and Graduate Faculty for the Indigenous Studies Ph.D. Program at Trent University and oversees the cultural and spiritual component of the program. He is a member of the Pike Clan, and was one of the first graduates of what is now called Indigenous Studies at Trent University in 1972. He is a Pipe Carrier, Sweat Lodge Keeper, and ceremony leader. He is a language speaker and considers himself a trapper, a hunter and a fisher. Beyond his work in the academy, he is active at the community level and works to ensure that Indigenous Knowledge is maintained within the community.

Gidigaa Migizi's profile page