Northwest Fur Trade Flashcards
Who are voyageurs?
Licensed coureurs de bois
Who are baymen?
Hudson’s bay employees who were stationed along the shores of the bay
Who are home guard?
First Nations who settled near the Hudson’s Bay posts
What is métis?
Children of French fur traders and First Nations women
Who were countryborn?
Children of baymen and First Nations women
Who were the nor’westers?
Employees of the northwest company
What is acculturation?
The adoption of values, beliefs, and behaviours from another culture
Where did the HBC recruit employees from?
Orkney islands, the climate was similar, the men didn’t have anything to lose, and they were young and single. They paid them with food and water
What is pemmican?
Berries, fat, and meat. Use the fat to hold the other ingredients together so it looks like a granola bar. It was good because it lasted a long time and it’s nutritious
Women and the fur trade:
Acted as guides and translators for the fur traders, make pemmican, clean pelts, were companions. They also had connections which made for good trading relationships between First Nations and fur traders
Why was the NWC able to compete with the HBC?
They were more bold and aggressive, established relationships with the FN, had 2000 employees. Built their forts inland, and ignored the HBC’s monopoly over Rupert’s land
What is custom of the country?
When fur traders and FN women get married. It helped the fur trade at first, then HBC got concerned about costs and didn’t allow it. Caused métis people and acculturation, worked both ways
Alcohol and the fur trade:
It caused addiction and made the FN people lose their culture. It caused conflict in the communities and some people didn’t want to be involved in the fur trade anymore
Rupert’s land:
Radisson and Groseilliers main sponsor to her fur trade was Prince Rupert, so the land is named after him. They had a monopoly over it
