By Darris Flanagan
A detailed look at significant trails and mountain passes used by the Kutenai Indians of northwestern Montana and British Columbia to travel from their mountainous homeland west of the Continental Divide to the life-sustaining buffalo country to the east of the Rockies. Researched and written by retired educator-historian Darris Flanagan of Eureka, Montana, whose earlier book on the Fort Steele Trail brought insight into an often overlooked part of the history of the Northern Rockies. His new book sheds light on the struggles of the Kutenai (alternately spelled Kootenai in the U.S. or Kutenai and Kootenay in Canada) to sustain life in a harsh environment. “Indian Trails of the Northern Rockies” also chronicles the changes wrought to their way of life, in relationship to these trails, with the arrival of white settlement in the middle to late 1800s. His book is an important addition to the history and lore of early life in the Northern Rocky Mountains and the first book that has explored this historical theme in depth. Issued in softcover 6x9-inch format, the book is 192 pages, contains 66 photographs, including many of historical significance, as well as a half-dozen illustrations, including several maps identifying major trails and passes and extensive bibliographies and an index.
ISBN:1-931291-10-1 -- Indian Trails of the Northern Rockies