1. Elizabeth A. Fenn, “Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People”
- Fenn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book explores the history of the Mandan people, touching on the warfare between different Indigenous groups in the North American plains and how these conflicts were part of their political and social dynamics.
2. Bruce Trigger, “The Children of Aataentsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660”
- Trigger’s seminal work provides a detailed history of the Huron (Wendat) people, with significant focus on their conflicts with the Iroquois and other Indigenous groups. The book explores the causes, strategies, and impacts of these pre-contact wars.
3. Daniel K. Richter, “Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America”
- While focused broadly on Native American history, Richter’s work includes important insights into the nature of warfare among First Nations before and during early European contact. It explores the role of war in Indigenous societies and how it influenced diplomacy and alliances.
4. Peter Bakker, “The History and Ethnography of the Beothuk”
- Bakker’s book covers the history of the Beothuk people of Newfoundland, including their interactions with neighboring First Nations and conflicts with other Indigenous groups. It provides an ethnographic perspective on pre-contact warfare.
5. David G. Smith, “The Iroquois in the War of 1812”
- Though primarily focused on the Iroquois during the War of 1812, Smith’s work traces their history of inter-tribal conflict and warfare, exploring the long-standing rivalries between the Iroquois and other First Nations that predated European contact.
6. J.R. Miller, “Skyscrapers Hide the Heavens: A History of Native-Newcomer Relations in Canada”
- Miller’s book provides a broad overview of Indigenous history in Canada, including warfare between First Nations before the arrival of Europeans. It looks at the nature of these conflicts and how they shaped Indigenous societies.
7. Bruce G. Trigger and Gordon M. Day (eds.), “Natives and Newcomers: Canada’s ‘Heroic Age’ Reconsidered”
- This collection of essays explores the relationships between Indigenous peoples and early European settlers but includes significant analysis of pre-contact conflicts among First Nations, especially in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence regions.
8. Anthony P. Schmitz, “Subarctic Native Warfare and the Fur Trade: The Context of Canadian Native Warfare Before Contact”
- Schmitz’s work focuses on the subarctic regions of Canada, examining how warfare between Indigenous groups was structured before the European fur trade arrived. The book highlights the causes, objectives, and tactics used in these early conflicts.
9. David J. Silverman, “Thundersticks: Firearms and the Violent Transformation of Native America”
- Silverman’s book focuses on the role of firearms in transforming Native American warfare, but it also provides detailed context on pre-contact warfare, especially in the northeastern regions of North America. The work delves into how traditional warfare was conducted before European weapons arrived.
10. Wayne E. Lee (ed.), “Empires and Indigenes: Intercultural Alliance, Imperial Expansion, and Warfare in the Early Modern World”
- This edited collection examines the dynamics of warfare between Indigenous groups in North America and the impact of early European contact. It includes chapters that detail pre-contact wars and alliances among Indigenous nations.
11. Bruce Bourque, “Twelve Thousand Years: American Indians in Maine”
- Bourque’s comprehensive study of the Indigenous peoples of Maine includes sections on inter-tribal warfare in the region before European contact. The book offers valuable insights into how First Nations warfare shaped the social and political landscape of the area.
12. Laurentian University’s Ojibwe Studies Program (various authors), “The Ojibwe and their Neighbours: Warfare, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Great Lakes Region”
- This collection of essays focuses on the Ojibwe people and their interactions with neighboring Indigenous groups. It includes detailed analysis of warfare in the Great Lakes region before European arrival, focusing on tactics, alliances, and rivalries.
13. Matthew T. Sanger, “The Powell Archaeological Research Report: Warfare and the Algonquians”
- Sanger’s research focuses on the warfare practices of the Algonquian-speaking peoples before European contact, providing archaeological evidence and analysis of how inter-tribal conflict influenced their society.
14. David J. Weber, “The Spanish Frontier in North America”
- Though primarily focused on Spanish colonization, Weber’s book includes significant insights into the pre-contact conflicts among First Nations in the southern parts of North America. It explores how these Indigenous wars set the stage for interactions with Europeans.
15. Jon Parmenter, “The Edge of the Woods: Iroquoia, 1534-1701”
- Parmenter’s book covers the Iroquois Confederacy’s rise to power and their military strategies, with substantial focus on pre-European contact warfare between Iroquoian nations and their neighbors.
16. Robert S. Grumet, “The Munsee Indians: A History”
- Grumet’s detailed history of the Munsee people includes an examination of their pre-contact warfare with neighboring tribes, particularly in the Hudson Valley. It offers insights into Indigenous warfare strategies and the role of conflict in shaping regional power dynamics.
17. James Axtell, “The Invasion Within: The Contest of Cultures in Colonial North America”
- Axtell’s work examines the cultural clashes between Indigenous groups and European settlers, with a focus on the pre-existing rivalries and warfare between First Nations that influenced their reactions to European colonization.
18. Charles A. Bishop, “The Northern Ojibwa and the Fur Trade: An Historical and Ecological Study”
- This book explores the warfare dynamics among northern Indigenous groups, particularly the Ojibwa, prior to the fur trade and European contact. It provides a socio-economic perspective on how inter-tribal conflict shaped the region.
19. Jean Barman, “The West Beyond the West: A History of British Columbia”
- While focused on the history of British Columbia, Barman includes discussions of pre-contact warfare among Indigenous groups on the west coast, particularly the Coast Salish, Haida, and Tlingit peoples.
20. W. Vernon Kinietz, “The Indians of the Western Great Lakes, 1615-1760”
- Kinietz’s study explores the cultures of the Great Lakes Indigenous peoples, including a focus on pre-contact warfare. It examines the alliances, rivalries, and conflicts between tribes such as the Ojibwa, Potawatomi, and others.
These references provide a wide array of perspectives on First Nations warfare before European arrival, from archaeological evidence and ethnographic studies to historical analysis. They offer a comprehensive understanding of how warfare shaped Indigenous societies across different regions of Canada.