Designed as a stand-alone instructional tool to provide a 6- to 12-week unit of study for third graders, this textbook was written to Alberta curriculum guidelines, fieldtested in three school districts, and positively reviewed by a committee of Native and non-Native educators for bias and for meeting Alberta Education's Tolerence and Understanding Guidelines. The book deals with children in their community, focusing on issues of culture, traditions, and change in the Blood Reserve. Topic areas flow sequentially from how the Blood people lived long ago to life today, contrasting/comparing community needs such as food, families, education, shelter, spiritual beliefs, government, clothing, communication, and transportation. Captions promote thinking skills by employing recall, synthetic, and evaluative questions. Whole language concepts are incorporated by the careful integration of text, 108 illustrations with captions, and the use of Blackfoot legend and language. New words are printed in bold upon first appearance, defined contextually, and included in a glossary. Color-coded tabs on each page help students find their way through the book. Four original full-color maps are designed for easy reading. Positive role models are presented showing Blood Indians of both sexes and a wide range of ages in a variety of situations. (NEC)