Masters of Empire: Great Lakes Indians and the Making of America

from back cover:  "In Masters of Empire, historian Michael A. McDonnell reveals the pivotal role played by the native peoples of the Great Lakes in the history of North America.  Though less well-known than the Iroquois or Sioux, the Anishinaabeg, who lived across Lakes Michigan and Huron, were equally influential.  [This book] charts the story of one group, the Odawa, who settled at the straits between those two lakes, a hub for trade and diplomacy throughout the vast country west of Montreal known as the pays d'en haut.  Masters of Empire overturns our assumptions about colonial America.  By calling attention to the Great Lakes as a crucible of culture and conflict, McDonnell reimagines the landscape of American history."