Lost Harvests: Prairie Indian Reserve Farmers and Government Policy, 2nd edition by Sarah Carter now includes a new introduction and is based on the original 1990 edition of this book and with the same name. Lost Harvests is about the history of the Plains Nations west of the Red River settlement and farming the prairies in the 19th century. This work is unique because in general the author states that First Nations were excluded from the history of farming and discussions on their capability to farm. However, they also expressed concerns at treaty negotiations about not having adequate means to farm. The Euro-Canadian perspective on Indians and farmers was that they were incompatible and this image persists in histories of western Canada. Lost Harvests explores the myth and reality of Plains First Nations and agriculture, government response to Indigenous agitation for agriculture assistance, home farming, government policy after 1885, “peasant” farming, and reserve agriculture. Illustrations, maps, appendices, notes, a bibliography and index are included.
