This publication provides teachers with a practical resource of information on the early history, cultural heritage, and traditions of Native people in Manitoba. Sections 1 and 2 draw from archeological evidence and oral tradition, respectively, to present two different perspectives on the origins and lifeways of early peoples. The academic historical account covers: (1) settlement of Manitoba by waves of migrating peoples from 11,000 to 1,000 years ago, early technical innovations, trade networks, and early agriculture; (2) relationships among the Cree, Assiniboine, Dene, and Inuit in the early postcontact period; (3) the fur trade and the buffalo hunt; (4) treaties; and (5) changing Native societies in the 1800s. Oral tradition includes mythology, which explains the origins of things, and legends featuring human beings in more mundane situations, such as migration. Sections 3 and 4 look at material artifacts, music, and dance as reflections of the values, beliefs, relationships, and activities of the people who crafted them. Material culture includes stone and copper artifacts, ceramics, paintings, birch bark biting, quillwork, beadwork, and woodland style art. Contains over 150 references and many maps, photographs, and drawings. (SV)