Part of a series on the American Indian, the book presents the biography of William Whipple Warren, Ojibway (Chippewa) historian. Although he led an extraordinary life, Warren is a little-known historical figure. The son of an American fur trapper and a mother of French and Ojibway descent, he was born in 1825 on an island in Lake Superior. Later he attended school in New York before returning to his land to serve as an interpreter and go-between for government agents and the Ojibways. In 1850, at a time when Indians were not allowed to vote, he was elected to the Minnesota Territorial Legislature. During the next years, he wrote the "History of the Ojibways", based on his knowledge of tribal customs and legends. His book was published posthumously in 1855, after Warren's death from lung disease at age 28. Incorporated into this story about Warren are Ojibway legends, information about fur trading and the voyageurs, and descriptions of Indian customs. (Author/KM)