Ojibway Oratory

This volume, the second in a series of upper-midwestern Indian oratory-related books, is devoted to the speeches (and the stories behind them) of the Ojibway, or Chippewa, people, culled from almost two centuries of their history. The speeches were given by some forty individuals from about twenty different locations, from Sault Ste. Marie to Turtle Mountain. Featured are such prominent orators as Shingabaossin, Broken Tooth, Flat Mouth, the elder and younger Hole-in-the-Days, and White Cloud. Oratorical ability was a well-respected gift among the Ojibways, as it was the principle means of formulating public opinion and consensus of action. This body of speeches therefore is an invaluable expression of how the Ojibways felt and responded at particular points in time, and richly demonstrates their character, beliefs, and attitudes on the great issues of their lives.