The story of the development and cultural ethnogenesis of the Metis on the Canadian prairies is one that is rich and has a diverse history. It is a story of resilience, and one of many trails and tribulations. Ultimately is a story that has forever changed the narrative on what was to become Western Canada. The Metis people have undoubtedly played a pivotal role in the development of the Canadian prairies. We can see clearly the effects that the Metis have had in the prairies economically, politically, and culturally. The Metis played a large part in the westward expansion of the Fur trade. During the Metis’ ethnogenesis in the Red River Basin they developed their own culture, language and customs. Had it not been for the Metis, perhaps Canada …show more content…
The North American Fur Trade was developing at an exponential rate. The demand for furs in Europe was to be the determining factor as to why the European presence was to be maintained in the west. Europeans were moving westward as an act of economic development rather that colonization. As the demand grew more, the supplies in the region around the great lakes became scarcer and thus gave reason the fur trade to move further west. The French settlers who were part of the North West Company travelled out from the St. Lawrence River system and go inland in search of new furs. With the decline of the beaver in the areas surrounding the St. Lawrence the French began to move toward a system of trading posts that would eventually be one of the contributing factors for the birth of the …show more content…
“The French [fur traders] discovered that the Indians were quite prepared to participate regularly in the trade and, indeed, to use the Europeans to further their own ends” (Friesen, 2010). This demonstrates that the Aboriginals were also using the Europeans as a way of helping secure themselves economically. “The marriage of one of their band to a trader could provide them with credit and help in tough times; it could give them an advantage in trade negotiations; it might mean that enemy bands did not secure European weapons” (Friesen, 2010). Indeed both parties would benefit greatly from such marriages. These marriages were a way for both to French and the First Nations people to secure for themselves allies as well as trading partnerships. These relationships were not an act of colonization, but one of economic development and of diplomacy. Both groups were benefitting in many different ways: “marriage between that daughter of a prominent Indian and a European fur company man might cement a trade relationship and outflank the opposition in a way that was otherwise impossible” (Friesen, 2010). These marriages would set the conditions as to how the Metis nation would develop as a distinct people
The white man’s dream is of new energy sources and industrial development however, the maps that the Indigenous peoples create of their territory gets in the way of this (Brody, 1981, p. 30). Indigenous groups have lost a lot of land that was once the center of their hunting and trapping systems due to the ignorance of settlers and developers of First Nations economic and cultural
“This is our land! It isn’t a piece of pemmican to be cut off and given in little pieces to us. It is ours and we will take what we want.” (voices and visions chapter 8 pg.181, poundmaker in the english tongue) The Cree and many Métis believed that the land was theirs and they were entitled to it.
" This absence of a recognized common lineage was a significant factor in the Natives' failure to resist the European onslaught. This critical factor was worsened by: their growing reliance on European manufactured products (metal awls, needles and kettles, iron arrowheads and axes); the fur-trade rivalries; the colonial
One of the main ways in which the US Government obtained Native American lands was to offer them terms within treaties. Congress declared that the only treaties ratified by them would result in the legal seizure of native land. These treaties frequently offered some sort of payment or guarantee to “compensate” the native for land forfeitures. Federal regulation of the fur trade was an attempt at obtaining control of the Native Americans. The Fur Trade was prevalent for both settlers and the natives.
Champlain, like many other explorers of his era, participated in the colonisation and exploitation of the native peoples, and his partnerships with some often came at the price of others. The ecology of the area was significantly impacted by the fur trade that he helped establish, which resulted in overhunting and the extinction of many animal populations. Moreover, Champlain's attempts to spread the Catholic faith in Canada were not always successful. There were conflicts between the French and the indigenous peoples frequently over issues as some indigenous peoples converted gladly while others rejected the efforts of the
By the outbreak of the Seven Years’ War in 1756 the Montreal fur trade had expanded westward through the southern part of the Canadian Shield, south into the upper part of the Mississippi Valley and west across the prairies to the foothills of the Rocky
Approximately 12,000 years ago, Michigan’s first residents arrived. They followed herds of caribou and other animals that were hunted for food, skin to make clothes of, and bones and teeth for tools. The Native Americans had to adapt to the changing plant and animal life over thousands of years. They hunted different animals, made new tools and eventually learned to grow their own crops. They had no written language and only left behind pieces of pottery and tools.
The metis made many changes to communities and Canada in general and these events helped to make this change possible. First off the Metis helped to change the community by helping to change the amount of diversity in the community. They did this with their kids because they taught their kids to except every different culture and religion and because these kids were the future of Canada this help to make Canada a very diverse country. There is a long history that tells us how the Metis were established and this is how they were established. If we go far back the metis started when the French first arrived in Canada and they established New France and established strong relationships with the natives.
They learned about competitive spirit from their fathers. Whether they learned it from their fathers or by themselves, the Métis learned to adapt both Indian and European ways of life, by using what was suitable to their needs. Métis woman played an important role in the process of obliging two cultures.
In 1871, Canada’s first post-confederation treaty was signed in Fort Garry, Manitoba. This treaty set the tone for future treaties between the Crown and the First Nations. Although the treaties were written documents signed by both parties, they held vastly different understandings for the Crown and the First Nation people. The First Nation people’s understanding of what these treaties meant was different from what the Crown had intended.
The First Nation women taught them how to sew Mittens, hats, and other sorts of clothing that are used to keep warm in the winter. This helped the Europeans survive the cold weather in Canada. The First Nations helped the Europeans with fulfilling their basic needs. The
In return for the surveyor’s death, the British Canadians ordered the death of the Métis leader which ended the conflict. The remaining Métis joined Canada and renamed their land to Manitoba. The Doctrine of Manifest
Indigenous Women are being murdered and are disappearing at a higher rate than other women in Canada. Aboriginal women are five times more likely than other women to die due to violence. High rates of murder of indigenous women have occurred since settlers arrived in Canada. The first European and Canadian Aboriginal contact dates back to the sixteenth century. Indigenous women were the centers of their community and a common tactic of European settlers was to attack women.
During the late 1400s and the early 1500s, European expeditioners began to explore the New World. Native Americans, who were living in America originally, were much different than the Europeans arriving at the New World; they had a different culture, diet, and religion. Eventually, both the Native Americans and the European colonists exchanged different aspects of their life. For example, Native Americans gave the Europeans corn, and the Europeans in return gave them modern weapons, such as various types of guns. This type of trade was called “the Columbian Exchange.”
Louis Riel was considered a criminal and a traitor to Canada for over one hundred years, but really, his involvement in the development of Manitoba and the fight for Métis rights makes him a true hero in the eyes of many Canadians. He spent ten years in Montreal becoming a priest, but his heart was where he was born in 1844: Red River, where Manitoba is now. Shortly after Confederation, this area, and the Métis people who lived there were facing a dramatic change of lifestyle as more settlers moved to the area. This was when Riel first proved himself as a hero to the Métis people.