The purposes of this book are to trace the influence of major social forces on the Alberta, Canada, public and Catholic school systems and to detail the evolution of these two systems. Beginning with a review of "The First People" of the Northwest Territories, chapter I examines political, economic, and sociocultural developments and their impact on education up to 1905; chapters II and III profile, respectively, the most prominent missionaries and the two principal orders of nuns active in the area during this early period. In chapter IV, the author traces the impact of social forces on education from 1905 to 1912. Following chapter V's exposition of major social forces in Alberta from 1912 to 1936, chapter VI details the impact of these developments on public and Catholic education during the same period. Chapter VII covers sociocultural factors and their implications for the period extending from 1936 to 1957. After a discussion in chapter VIII of the Alberta Catholic Education Association. chapter IX focuses on the period from 1957 to 1971 and its curriculum shift to "values education." The final chapter's description of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association extends the study beyond 1971. The book concludes with an epilogue and a set of references. (JBM)