Canadian Fur Trade During The Canadian Economy

Native American Trade refers to the trade between Europeans and their North American descendants and the Indigenous people of North America, it really began before the colonial period and continued through the nineteenth century. The products traded involved a vast variety of goods and varied by region and era. Canada was a major trader with the native people. In most of Canada the term “Native American Trade” is synonymous with the fur trade; fur for making beaver hats was by far the most valuable product of the trade, from the European point of view. Native Americans had the skills and tools for hunting and skinning the animals used for fur clothing and Canadian settlers had the needs and funding for it. This made for a thriving exchange between the two societies.

Over time, the power that Native women held with in their tribe has unfortunately digressed. During the age of exploration Native women have played key roles in the western fur trade. Native women assisted the fur traders by being liaison between the Europeans and Natives. This role was fundamental in strengthening trade increasing the economic stability of the post. They acted as guides for the European traders who often found themselves in dangerous and unfamiliar territory. Finally, they provided an intimate relationship for the European traders, and played a pragmatic role as a domesticated wife. However in order to fully understand the magnitude of the

The fur traders could not help but learn many different and essential survival skills, and other skills in general, from their God-given Aboriginal wives. These women paved the way for the knowledge of which plants could be edible, held the important and amazing knowledge of medicinal properties of certain plants, acted as pack mules, tanned the furs and hides for clothing and were the mothers of the new nation: the Métis.

According to Peggy Baker, of the Pilgrim Hall Museum, the fur trade between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans began sometime around 1625. The Pilgrims were in enormous debt with investors in Europe and needed money to repay this debt. They knew that one of the best ways to make the money was through fur trade and they knew the best furs to trade were beaver furs. However, the beavers were in Maine with the American Indians. Hence, the Pilgrims began the fur trade with the Native Americans. The Native Americans would hunt the beaver and trade the fur with Europeans for goods such as grain, cooking pots, tools, clothing, and blankets. As the fur trade continued throughout America, the impact on the Native Americans began.

The fur trade was the major economic source for New France. Women played a role in the fur trade and aided it in becoming successful for both French and Aboriginal. The European women’s main job was to prepare their husbands by making

Title: How the fur trade was a significant part of Canadian history, and the role of the native females during the fur-trade.

Fur trade between the French and Indians began with the exchange of small items the Indians didn’t have, though it became an important trade source for all of Europe, especially by Samuel de Champlain

The British were interested in the production and circulation of fur as a commodity in the world market and were in need of labor. The Indians were the only available source of skilled labor, so they became part of the production process.

The First Nations’ inventions are beneficial for ameliorating Canada’s economic development. Some inventions of the Aboriginals include the canoe and snowshoes. Canoes were constructed out of various trees specifically Birchbark as it was an ideal material for its smooth, light, resilient, and waterproof essential qualities (Marsh, 2006). This was used extensively as a means of fishing, transportation as well as the fur trade. It was also used for providing the ongoing trade between Europeans and

Images of rough faced, Grizzly Bear fighting, firewater drinking, yarn spinning, frontiersmen form in the minds eye. Wild men for wild times! To a degree this image is true, but the fur trade was more than wild men. The fur trade was a business, conducted by businessmen. The wilder men living on the frontier chose trapping. Fashion created the fur trade as businessmen sought to satisfy the tastes of designers and customers back east and in Europe, where furs and hides were necessities for fashionable clothing and accessories. Fashions also affected the Indians who sought, silver, vermillion, glass beads, and clothe from traders. Each group depended on the other to supply the resources.

Long before European fur traders established their commerce on the North American continent, the fur trade had a long lucrative history that impacted native Americans and their modes of life. As a desirable and profitable good, fur was sought to “be the most valuable single item of trade.” Soon, a competitive market trade ground for fur emerged and the fur trade changed how Indian tribes adapted from their previous habitats: they were the primary manufacturers. Eric Wolf then discusses the consequences of the fur trade for different groups of Native American tribes both on the concepts of dependency and on the levels of how social economic relationships are changed. To support his claims, I will compare and contrast the experiences of the Abenaki

The experience of the Firs Nation’s during the fur trade would have been a new and novel situation for all First Nation’s. York and Hudson Bay Company led a competition between anyone living in Canada at the time but it became very competitive for the First Nation tribes. There was increasing fur and goods in 1730, but shortly after there was a sharp decline in goods until 1750 because of the competition was so hard. Indian tribes competed with one another for control of the trading posts. Problem was, there was a distance between the tribes that made trading more difficult, the Mountain Indians travelled 37 days downstream and took months to return. Assiniboine and Cree bands were taking over control of their inland trading of York factory

Inventing the trade of furs among the British and the French, the Native Americans initiated the Fur Trade. English fishermen and the French were the first to trade for furs from the Native Americans. In exchange, Native American recieved European-manufactured goods. This trade became so profitable, that fishermen would abandon fishing to go to North America just to trade furs. Allied with the Iroquois, the British were thought to have an advantage with the Native Americans.

A historical event that occurred in the Pacific Northwest region was the start of trading between Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest and Europeans. This was an important event because Non-Native Americans were driven to the region because of the idea of making money. This lead to settlements and trading posts throughout the region.The social structure of tribes in this region was also affected by trade. The website http://www.washington.edu/uwired/outreach/cspn/Website/Classroom%20Materials/Curriculum%20Packets/Indians%20&%20Europeans/II.html says, “In return the Europeans sought furs, and it became relatively simple for powerful Native leaders to take control of the acquisition, preperation, and trade of furs within a given area.

“What did Bridger leave behind?”, you may ask, let me tell you. To start out, all Mountain Men left the legacy of exploring most of the west in search of fur (beavers), while they were searching for fur they found new routes to Oregon and California. Their trading posts also became supply stations for settlers moving West. Jim was a trapper, hunter, Indian fighter, and one of the few mountain men to stay in the Rockies after the fur trade was over. Jim was selected in 1824 to explore Bear River, and settle the dispute of where it went. During this exploration he found Great Salt Lake, but more recent evidence states that he wasn't the first white man to see it, Etienne Provost was. Bridger thought that Great Salt Lake was an arm of the Pacific