By using rodeo as the central contact zone, Kelm provides a very interesting and nuanced way of examining settler and Aboriginal relations in Western Canada...Kelm's book makes an important contribution to Canadian history. She successfully demonstrates that Western Canadian settlers and Aboriginal peoples did not operate in a static fashion or interact solely along the rigid lines of the colonization narrative.
- Michael Commito, McMaster University, Essays in History
Mary-Ellen Kelmâs book is a welcome addition to a somewhat sparse scholarly literature on the history of rodeo in CanadaâŚoverall, this study is well conceived and filled with personalized stories to keep readers interested and to deepen knowledge about localities. Kelm fulfills her intent to demonstrate the palpable âlinkages between cultural display and political actionâ in terms of colonial history and has also created a good resource for studies about masculinities linked to sport and identity...
- Lynda M. Annik, Newfoundland Memorial University, American Historical Review