A Life in Two Worlds

Betty Powell, of Irish-Ojibwa descent, was raised in the traditional ways of her Ojibwa grandmother, along the shores of Sagnagons Lake in Ontario, Canada. As the white settlers moved into the area, their growing influence changed Betty's way of life. The history of Betty's family is a fascinating narrative of six generations of the Powell's, that began with great-grandmother Ka-way-wi-gest-kook, in the early 1800's, and continues to the present. Her tales represent how the Indians lived, adapted to the white settlers' ways, and survived in the northern Minnesota and Ontario wilderness during the first half of the 20th century. Nobody is more qualified to put Betty's story in writing than her life-long friend, Justine Kerfoot, author of 'Woman of the Boundary Waters' and 'Gunflint, Reflections on the Trail'. Kerfoot lived side by side the Ojibwa in the Boundary Waters for more than 60 years. She earned their trust, and they, in turn, shared their lifestyle, knowledge and beliefs with her.