Bridge of the Gods

An amalgamation of fact and legend that creates a portrait of rural Native American life in the 19th century First published in 1890, The Bridge of the Gods is a tale of the American Indians of the Northwest. Frederic Homer Balch describes missionaries attempting to convert Native Americans to Christianity, warring tribes who try to form an alliance to drive out the white settlers, and Native American legends of how the land—its mountains and rivers—came to be. Throughout his brief life, Balch observed and interviewed the American Indians in his native Oregon. More than a compilation of stories, Balch's classic work is a portrait of the Northwest tribes: their food, dress, shelters, canoes, gambling games, religious beliefs, and the sports and pastimes of their children.