A new perspective on Canadian and US history-the life and travels of James Beaver . . . Born in 1845, James was among the first generation of his Cayuga people to be born and raised on a reservation. He was a self-made man who was a talented carpenter and carver, painter of folk art, and entertainer in medicine and Wild West shows. Only recently was he given the recognition of Official Artist of Canada. Beginning in the late eighteenth century with the migration of the Haudenosaunee people from their New York State homelands, it flows into descendants living in the twenty-first century. It touches on the fur trade, Indian wars, new laws, ghost towns that once were, the growth of new towns, residential schools, evolution of transportation, new industries, medicine and Wild West shows, world wars, Confederation, religion, and the struggles of the Natives among it all. Interwoven with James' life are family stories and genealogy that show his connection to some important and powerful Native people that are barely known outside the Native circle, as well as other prestigious people who have been well documented in history books. James' family is traced to their arrival in the Grand River Valley in Ontario and the Six Nations Reserve; with many relatives scattered across the two newly forming countries of Canada and the US. How the Natives adjusted to the new way of life imposed upon them, how they survived their oppressions, and how they blended into the new world outside the reserve is revealed. From a lineage of hereditary chiefs, James' life bridged the two worlds of the whites and the Natives. He was widely travelled and following his trail of "bread crumbs," in the form of his artwork, allows us to relive many exciting episodes in history. The varied talents and experiences of this one man help reveal the adaptability of Natives, the extent of their participation in the formation of our country, and the reasons for the choices they made.