MANY PEOPLE WERE GENEROUS with their time, in interviews and correspondence, and generous with a bed and a meal when the situation arose. I would particularly like to thank Robert Stephenson of Fairbanks, Alaska, with whom I had the pleasure of weeks in the field, and Dave Mech, with whom I stayed in Minnesota and who directed me to a number of valuable people.
I am deeply indebted to the Nunamiut hunters of Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, for their ideas; to John Fentress, Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, for his early encouragement in this project; and to the late Joseph Brown, Department of Religious Studies, University of Montana, for his direction and encouragement. To Pat Reynolds of the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory, Barrow, Alaska; Dick Coles of the Tyson Research Center, Saint Louis; and the staff of the wolf research facility, Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, for their hospitality. And to Dale Bush, D.V.M., for his assistance.
The task of research was eased by various librarians and by the staffs of several state historical societies. I would particularly like to thank the interlibrary loan staff at the University of Oregon, Eugene; Minnie Paugh, special collections librarian at Montana State University; the staff of the Montana Historical Society, Helena; the staff of the South Dakota Historical Society, Pierre; and Marylyn Skaudis of Parkville, Minnesota.
Portions of the manuscript were critically reviewed by Robert Stephenson, Joseph Brown, and Roger Peters, and I am grateful for their insights.
Some of the ideas here first took shape in conversations with various people. In addition to those already named I would like to thank Dick Showalter, Jenny Ryon, Glynn Riley, Heather Parr, Tim Roper, Sandra Gray, and the late Dave Wallace.
Laurie Graham, my editor at Scribners, and Peter Schults, my agent, were deeply committed to the ideas here and I hope their insistence on clear and elegant expression is evident on these pages.
Sandy, my former wife, read this manuscript in progress. Her insights and the range of her vision are remarkable, and I am indebted.