The play has an important place in the history of modern Canadian theatre, as it was one of the first to address issues relating to Indigenous people.
It was also produced in Washington, DC, in May, 1973, with Chief Dan George and Frances Hyland in lead roles.
While the causes of the plight of Aboriginal people are not shown in sharp relief, it is clear that the violence of white culture is at the root of the problem.
The Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia which calls the play "seminal in the history of Canadian theatre," considered it to be more historically significant than meritorious in its own right: [It is] not great for what it is as much as it is great for what it promises and what it offers the imaginative creative team... flashes of dramatic brilliance and also the historical aspect of the work's timing; this was one of the first works about Native Canadians mounted on a stage and taken seriously.The Vancouver production starred Frances Hyland, August Schellenberg, Chief Dan George, Henry Ramer, Walter Marsh, Robert Clothier, Patricia Gage, Rae Brown, Claudine Melgrave, Bill Clarkson, Merv Campone, Alex Bruhanski, Jack Leaf, Jack Buttrey, Leonard George, Robert Hall, Frank Lewis, Paul Stanley, Willie Dunn and Ann Mortifee.
Jack Richards of the Vancouver Sun voiced an opinion echoed by others: "I don't know if it is a great play.