THE MÉTIS & THE FUR TRADE

WHO ARE THE MÉTIS?

• When the fur trade moved west, in the 1700s and 1800s, many French-Canadian fur traders found First Nations wives and had children.

• The children born from these unions formed a new Nation in Canada - the 'Western Métis'.

• The term 'Métis‘ came from the French word for 'mixed'.

WHY DID THEY MARRY?

• Aboriginal people wanted strong relationships with their European allies and trading partners.

• Aboriginal women didn’t just keep fur traders from being lonely, they also aided in their survival.

• Fur traders needed help with:• Translation• Sewing new clothing• fixing cultural issues.

• Fur traders benefitted from 1000s of years of First Nations experience of living off the land.

WHERE WERE THEY?

• Because of the fur trade, most Métis people were spread along the Canadian fur trade routes.

• The first major Métis communities were established in the Red River area of Manitoba, and they eventually moved further west into Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

• The Metis built good trading relationships between the First Nations and the French.

• Initially, the Hudson's Bay Company (the British fur trading company) didn’t want their fur traders to marry Aboriginal women.

• The Hudson's Bay Company couldn’t stop them, though. • Over time, the Métis became valuable employees of both

fur trade companies the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and their rivals the North West Company.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

• When Voyageurs married First Nations women, they often couldn’t speak each other’s languages.

• Children born into these marriages were exposed to both French and a First Nations language (usually Cree).

• A new language, called ‘Michif’ was created as a mix of those two languages.

• Most of the fur traders were French and Catholic. Métis children practiced both Catholic and Aboriginal beliefs.

RUPERT’S LAND

• Rupert's Land was a large area of Canada that was owned by the Hudson's Bay Company. • King Charles II of England was the one who gave

the land to the HBC.

HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY

HBC land, 1821-1870

• Created in 1670 by King Charles II. Originally called the “The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay”

• The HBC is the oldest retail company in North America and is one of the oldest in the world.

• It acted as a government in parts of North America before European-based colonies and countries existed.

• It was at one time the largest landowner in the world.

• First Nations groups shifted and changed over time.

• Caused difficulties for trade:• Trading partners less predictable • Often resulted in fighting between First Nations

groups for trading rights.

• The French wanted to expand the fur trade West, too.• They

pushed inland and established trade with First Nations.

• The French got in the way of a lot of the English traders because they had a stronger presence inland.

• The HBC decided to build more inland forts, which resulted in more tension.

North America in 1702

North America in 1750.