George Bonga And The Fur Trade

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

Aboriginal women had occupied an essential position in the fur trade of the North American region from its birth during the 17th and 18th centuries. Even though this is true, the role of women, especially those of the Native American society, has been ignored a great deal in the entire history of fur trade. Contrary to the belief that the whole fur trade activity was only male-dominated, it very much depended upon Native women and their participation and labor in order to ensure survival as well as economic success. This paper will attempt to illuminate how Native women played the role as important producers when it comes to fur trade of the American Plains and, of course, the Canadian region. This paper will also deal with the two

The fur trade was a significant part of Canadian history. With the founding of the Hudson's Bay and Northwest Company during the1670's, the fur trade managed growth and development all the way into Western Canada until 1870. The fur trade was unique, for it was the only industry that was based on an exchange of goods between two very different groups of people (namely, the Indians and the Europeans). Although most people think of the fur trade as being a male dominated industry, Indian women also played very important roles in the industry's development. However, the women's experiences differed in relation to

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.

During the eighteenth century the fur trade, requiring the natives to seek furs in the hinterland, changed the Anishinabe way of living. Evidence shows that before the trade, small bands net fished along the Georgian Bay islands and coast with some winter hunting and ice fishing along the rivers but not any substantial stays on the inland lakes. After the trade with the Europeans a new Anishinabe way emerged.

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

In "Red" Labor: Iroquois Participation in the Atlantic Economy Gail D.MacLeitch explains “Cultural practices centered on gift giving and communal ownership prevented extremes of wealth from developing” (6). However by the seventeenth century, contact with colonists attracted the Iroquois to paid labor. Deciding to become part of the transatlantic fur trade the Iroquois received items such as cloth, guns, house wares, alcohol, and jewelry from the French and British in exchange for the furs of beavers (which were hunted to near extinction.) The goods that were received were then incorporated into the Iroquois way of life, including religious practices. By the eighteenth century Iroquois had ceased to create their own goods and became completely reliant on foreign trade (MacLeitch

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.

Fur Trade in Canada, formed the backbone of the object in the original settlement of that colony. The Fur Trade represented travel, adventure, and employment for hundreds of young men (little book page 10). The First Nations and Europeans recognized one another as supreme nations and created

Louis to the Rocky Mountain valley and waited for the trappers and Indians to arrive with beaver pelts to swap for manufactured goods from the East

While not taking care of their land the other job the males of the Iroquois had was warfare and even in battle with their enemies having superiors numbers over the Iroquois they were still able to defeat many opponents. The Dutch were given some credit for the Iroquois success when they provide them with weapons, but the Iroquois overall success lay in their ability to maintain unity and a far more superior organization than any of their enemies. While militarily they formed a great force to reckon with, it was their political system that made them even more a force in the early years of colonial history. This system allowed for them to form a unified front against the new European threat that was arriving in their lands. The Fur trade in North America began with the earliest contacts between the Iroquois and Europeans. Within a few years the Iroquois and the Dutch and others were bartering their goods with each other throughout the Mohawk Valley. In Europe there was a market for the furs and endless supply in North America to fulfill this need. In time the Iroquois became so dependent on these traders that they eventually gave up more and more of their own

Europeans would bring cows, guns, and horses to exchange with native Americans for special kinds of fur, beads and plants.

In 1608, a man by the name of Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent settlement for France called Quebec. Samuel de Champlain was also known as the “Father of New France”. French settlers were quite friendly to the American Indians known as the Huron Indian tribes located near the great lakes. They created an alliance with these native Indians, as the French settlers exchanged items such as gun power and other weapons to help the Indian fight in return they gave back fur. French didn’t do this because they like or wanted to help the Indians. They did this for the fur since the Indians knew where the beavers were at and how to get fur. This was known as French mercantilism to get more back then you are giving out. Independent trades called coureurs de bois or known as “runners of the woods” were paid to exchange weapons for fur. The bond between the French and the Huron Indian grew that soon French settler married Indian women. In 1640’s there was a series of conflicts with the Iroquois known as the Beaver War. The fur was so essential to the France since it was so valuable and lightweight. Fur was used in items such as hats, boot, furniture, etc. The fur was shown as luxury and warmth toward the European

We trade with the French often. The French are very eager to trade with us for furs and during the trading, we have come to know them