People of the Northwest from 1800 to 1860

The Native Peoples of the Northwest Before European contact, the Northwest was home to four aboriginal nations—the Ojibwa, the Assiniboin, the Cree, and the Chipewyan. These Native groups acted a middlemen (people who act as dealers between two parties who want to exchange goods) in the fur trade. Many Native peoples became so involved with the fur trade that it disrupted their way of life. As we saw last class, as the competition between the HBC and NWC intensified, Native trappers tried to keep up with the demand for furs.

The Native Peoples of the Northwest This forced full-time trappers to abandon their yearly cycle of fishing, hunting, and preserving food. The fur trade also caused a real clash of cultural values. For example, the Native peoples did not subscribe to the Protestant work ethic of “work for work’s sake.” They worked to sustain themselves and their families.

The Native Peoples of the Northwest Contact with Europeans also exposed the Native peoples to diseases. The two most deadly were smallpox and measles. An outbreak of smallpox in 1780-82 in the region around Hudson Bay killed off much of the Chipewyan and Cree populations.

The Battle for the Fur Trade, 1800 to 1810 The battle for fur between the HBC and NWC intensified in this period, as beaver stocks became depleted and both companies established posts as far inland as BC to gain control of untapped resources. Both companies sharpened their competitive edge by promising more valuable trade goods in exchange for furs.

The NWC and Natives As NWC traders moved deeper into the Northwest , they began wintering in their trading areas and staying with Native peoples. A number of fur traders married the daughters of Native families. The NWC encouraged intermarriage as they felt it would help ensure trading loyalty. Wives of fur traders enjoyed an improved standard of living and their lives were generally easier than those of most women. The marriages became important social events as the traders would pay the father of the intended bride a sum of money, and would receive a set of traditional garments in return.

HBC and Natives The HBC forbade its employees to marry. However, the isolation of the northern environment led to cross-cultural marriages.

The Métis Initially, persons of French-Native ancestry called themselves bois brule (literally, “burnt wood”). By about 1810, they began using the term “Métis” (from the French word for “mixed”). People with Native and Scottish or native and British ancestry preferred the term “country-born.” The Métis usually spoke French and Algonquian, or a dialect that combined the two languages, and they were usually Roman Catholic. They developed communities near the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in the Red River valley.

The Métis They developed farms that followed the seigneurial pattern, which had been the long-standing French custom. Like the Plains Indians, the Métis hunted bison. This was a seasonal event that involved the whole community: Métis women, men, and children would set out across the prairie in Red River carts (a two-wheeled cart used on the prairie), traveling many days in search of the right herd.

The Métis The buffalo did not only provide fresh meat and bison hides, but also all the meat and fat that was required to make pemmican. The hunt was a dangerous experience as at times the guns would explode, horses could trip and fall because of gopher holes, and the pointed horns of the bison could cause further injury. The bison hunt did more for the Métis that simply supply a large amount of meat and clothing. It fostered in them a strong sense of community, pride, and discipline.

Lord Selkirk’s Land Grant 1811 Thomas Douglas (Lord Selkirk), was the director of the HBC in 1811. He had already established settlements in the Maritimes and in Upper Canada. Lord Selkirk learned that the soils in the Red River Valley was especially fertile. He also knew it was costly for the HBC to ship food items from England to feed employees in the Northwest. Selkirk figured he could save the problems of the Scottish farmers and the HBC by establishing a farming colony in the Red River Valley. The farmers would be able to maintain their way of life in a new land, and the HBC could use their produce to supply employees at a lesser expense.

Lord Selkirk’s Land Grant 1811 In 1811 Selkirk bought enough of Hudson's Bay Company stock to gain control of the company. In order to provide a new life for Scottish farmers back home, Selkirk decided to give them with a place to live in North America. A huge area of land was bought from HBC company - 300,000 square kilometres along the banks of the Red River in what is now Manitoba. Not everyone was happy about Selkirk's plan. The Red River settlement was part of the land that the North West Company lived and traded fur on; they thought of it as their own. The Nor'westers were angry. They believed that Selkirk and Hudson's Bay Company were bringing the settlers on purpose to interfere with their fur trade. The Métis were also angry. They were worried that the settlers would drive away the buffalo, which was their source of food.

Life in a New Land The first settlers began arriving in 1811. When they reached York Factory, it was winter. They had to wait until winter was over before they could finish their journey to their new home. While they waited, they built boats they would need to take them inland to the new colony. When spring came and the rivers were thawed, they began their journey. By the time they reached the Red River colony, they were tired and weary after such a long trip. The settlers built a fort and called it Fort Douglas. By this time, it was already fall. The growing season was already over. This meant that the only food and supplies the settlers would have for the winter was what they had brought with them. It was extremely difficult to get supplies living so far away from any other trading post or settlement.

Hard Times in the Red River Colony The settlers faced starvation during their first winter. They were forced to follow the buffalo herds as they headed south. This was the only source of food. They did not return to the colony until the spring. Even then, their hardships were not over. They tried their best, but the crops were not successful. There was very little food. In order to help the settlers, the governor issued the Pemmican Proclamation that banned the sale and export of pemmican from the colony. Instead of helping, this caused more problems for the settlers. The Nor'westers were very angry with the new law. They needed to take food, especially pemmican, with them when they went on their fur trading trips. They were so angry, in fact, that they destroyed Fort Douglas and the buildings around it. This was the beginning of violent times for the colony.

Trouble in the Red River Valley When Lord Selkirk heard that Fort Douglas had been destroyed, he appointed a new governor, Robert Semple in 1816. He arrived at the Red River Settlement with more settlers. They rebuilt the fort, but the trouble was not over. It was just beginning. Semple wanted the violence to end. He believed that he could use his authority as governor to make the Nor'westers stop fighting. He decided to read them a proclamation that prohibited the Métis from acting violently against the Red River Settlement. He set off with 28 men to command them to obey his orders.

Battle of Seven Oaks With in fifteen minutes, Semple and twenty of his men were killed by the Métis. This is known as the “Battle of Seven Oaks”. Only one Métis was killed.

Selkirk’s Payment In 1817, Selkirk made a treaty with the local Ojibwa and Cree nations, gaining possession of the Red River Valley along both the Red River and Assiniboine River. His payment for the lease was 100 pounds of tobacco a year. He believed he had settled the disputes between the colonists and the Métis and the NWC.