Women and the Fur Trade

Aboriginal Women By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many NWC and HBC employees had taken Aboriginal wives. Historical documents indicate that fur traders were shocked with what they saw as the hardship of Aboriginal women’s lives: they believed Aboriginal women were overworked and treated like beasts of burden.

Aboriginal Women Were fundamental to the growth of fur trade society: marriage à la façon du pays. For fur traders, Aboriginal wives: provided companionship and emotional support provided economic and personal benefits taught their husbands about Aboriginal customs and languages acted as guides and interpreters made goods and possessed skills necessary for their fur trading husbands’ survival

Aboriginal Women “They are . . . subject to every kind of domestic drudgery: they dress the leather, make the clothes and shoes, weave the nets, collect wood, erect the tents, fetch water [and] perform every culinary service” -explorer Alexander Mackenzie, who believed that Aboriginal women’s lives were “an uninterrupted succession of toil and pain”

Métis Women Aboriginal women eventually lost their status as desirable wives to Métis women, who better met Victorian standards. “Indian” influences on the Métis were initially strong, but Métis daughters (in particular) were encouraged to emulate European ladies. As Rupert’s Land became more settled and the fur trade began to decline, Métis women found themselves more vulnerable and dependent on the males in their lives.

European Women After their absence for over a century, the appearance of white women in western Canada highlighted the growing class and racial distinctions developing in fur trade society. Had they arrived earlier, it is doubtful that marriage à la façon du pays would have been as accepted. Moving to Rupert’s Land meant moving to a strange and physically inferior environment, and, for most European women, it meant having little chance to play a useful role in the fur trade.

What happened then? As the fur trade declined, many men chose to remain in their relationships with Aboriginal and Métis women. many HBC employees returned to the UK: they were not permitted to bring Aboriginal dependents with them. many NWC employees planned to retire in the “civilized world” of Eastern Canada: Aboriginal women were no longer seen as appropriate spouses. Many families were abandoned: women unable to return to their families looked to the Company for support. Custom of “turning off” arose.

Reconstructing the Role of Women in the Fur Trade There aren’t that many sources that detail women’s experiences/roles in the fur trade: most existing ones written from a male perspective that might not accurately reflect the actual reality of women’s lives. While we know that women’s roles were defined in terms of their relationship with men: wife, mother, daughter, or worker, we also know that many women were not just passive victims and made the most of opportunities available to them during this era.