Contributor: Allan Greer Allan Greer is professor emeritus of history at McGill University.

"These well-written essays—pleasures to read—document in detail a series of broad areas of exchange in eastern North America from 12,300 BCE. The book weaves artifact and site data with letters and descriptions into rich tapestries. A theme repeats: First Nations had economies with practices as firm as those of Europeans, but not congruent with capitalist debt bookkeeping. With its fully documented sources and endnote clarifications, Before Canada is a must-read volume for everyone teaching Canadian history before Confederation (1871). This is altogether a fascinating read; its breadth and lively details are enthralling. Essential." Choice --- "Before Canada is a must-read volume for everyone teaching Canadian history before Confederation (1871). This is altogether a fascinating read; its breadth and lively details are enthralling. Essential." Choice --- “Before Canada features eleven of the smartest minds in early Canadian history, archeology, geography, and literary studies. Throughout the book, … Greer’s contemporaries define, demystify, and dismantle the imagined histories of the centuries preceding Canadian federation.” Montreal Review of Books --- “This collection builds upon earlier scholarship on Canada’s distant past and pushes resolutely at its boundaries. The variety of topics is dazzling, offering a valuable sample of current research on this elusive period of global history.” Margaret Conrad, University of New Brunswick and author of A Concise History of Canada