A detailed look at the warriors of the Native Americans living around the Great Lakes. This book describes the development of European fur trade in North America and how it brought the Native Americans of the Great Lakes region, mainly the Hurons, Dakotas, Sauks, and Foxes, Miamis, and Sawnies, into contact with European colonial wars.

During the French-Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812, these tribes took sides and became important allies of the nations' warriors. However, gradually the Indians were pushed westward by the influx of settlers. This tension eventually culminated in the Black Hawk War of 1832, which resulted in the displacement of many tribes to distant reservations.