Laws and Societies in the Canadian Prairie West, 1670-1940examines the legal history of the north-west frontier, from theearliest years of European-Native contact in the seventeenth century tothe mid-1900s. Challenging myths about a peaceful west and prairieexceptionalism, the book explores the substance of prairie legalhistory and the degree to which the region's mentality is rooted inthe historical experience of distinctive prairie peoples. The chapters, written by a cross-section of established and emerging scholars workingin the allied fields of law, legal history, sociology, and criminology, focus on what is distinctive in prairie legal culture. By approaching the issue from a variety of perspectives –those of colonial administrators, fur company employees, Nativepeoples, women, men, entrepreneurs, judges, magistrates, and thepolice, among others – the authors find evidence of a consciouseffort to apply broad, non-regional experiences to seemingly familiar, local issues. The ways in which prairie peoples perceived themselvesand their relationships to a wider world were directly framed bynotions of law and legal remedy shaped by the course and themes ofprairie history. Legal history is not just about black letter law. Itis also deeply concerned with the ways in which people affect and areaffected by the law in their daily lives. By examining how central andimportant the law has been to individuals, communities, and societiesin the Canadian Prairies, this book makes an original contribution. | Laws and Societies in the Canadian Prairie West 1670-1940 by Louis A. Knafla, Paperback | Indigo Chapters