Review of Aboriginal Health in Canada: Historical, Cultural and Epidemiological Perspectives by Waldram J, Herring A and Young TK

This revised and updated second edition, published more than a decade after the first edition, presents the reader with a clear and readable picture of the health of aboriginal people in Canada, how the health status got to be what it is and how history, politics and culture have conspired to create the deplorable situation in which many aboriginal people find themselves today. The book begins with a chapter on who the aboriginal people of Canada are, from whence they came and the probable timing of the arrival of different waves. It describes the immense cultural and linguistic diversity that existed prior to contact and a brief history of what happened postcontact in terms of legislation and cultural and economic changes. This chapter alone is a nice summary for the uninitiated.