The Homesteaders covers the whole settler experience, beginning the year Canada was founded and the first sodbusters appeared in what is now Saskatchewan, right through the immigration boom years preceding the First World War. In their own words, settlers recount their lives from the moment they registered for their "home quarter" -- 160 acres of land given to them, so long as they could cultivate it. Homesteaders describe the formidable task of building the family home from sod or logs, the back-breaking labour of cropping and harvesting the fields, the patience needed when working with draught animals, and the misery of dealing with the pests which threatened their livelihood. Their reminiscences extend further as they discuss the type of food that was available, the medical practices they had to endure, and the educational experiences of their children in one-room schoolhouses, as well as their hobbies, the books that they read, the songs they sang, the pets that they owned, the games that they played, and the local dances, picnics, weddings, and chivarees that they attended during these early years.

About the Author
Sandra Rollings-Magnusson teaches sociology at MacEwan College. Her research interests include political economy, sociology of the family, social policy, and gender and ethnic studies. She is currently researching the economic, political, and social lives of pioneer families on the western prairies. Rollings-Magnusson lives in Edmonton.

Reviews
"[The Homesteaders] is an informative and intimate portrait of the Saskatchewan homesteading experience, largely in the words of those who settled the land." Great Plains Quarterly



Book Information
ISBN 9780889775152
Author Sandra Rollings-Magnusson
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint University of Regina Press
Publisher University of Regina Press
Weight(grams) 754g
Dimensions(mm) 215mm * 9mm * 292mm