1. THE MÉTIS & THE FUR TRADE

2. WHO ARE THE MÉTIS ? When the fur trade moved west, in the 1700s and 1800s, many French- Canadian fur traders found First Nations wives and had children. The children born from these unions formed a new Nation in Canada - the 'Western Métis'. The term 'Métis‘ came from the French word for 'mixed'.

3. WHY DID THEY MARRY? Aboriginal people wanted strong relationships with their European allies and trading partners. Aboriginal women didn’t just keep fur traders from being lonely, they also aided in their survival. Fur traders needed help with: Translation Sewing new clothing fixing cultural issues. Fur traders benefitted from 1000s of years of First Nations experience of living off the land.

4. WHERE WERE THEY? Because of the fur trade, most Métis people were spread along the Canadian fur trade routes. The first major Métis communities were established in the Red River area of Manitoba, and they eventually moved further west into Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

5. The Metis built good trading relationships between the First Nations and the French. Initially, the Hudson's Bay Company (the British fur trading company) didn’t want their fur traders to marry Aboriginal women. The Hudson's Bay Company couldn’t stop them, though. Over time, the Métis became valuable employees of both fur trade companies the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and their rivals the North West Company.

6. LANGUAGE AND CULTURE When Voyageurs married First Nations women, they often couldn’t speak each other’s languages. Children born into these marriages were exposed to both French and a First Nations language (usually Cree). A new language, called ‘Michif’ was created as a mix of those two languages. Most of the fur traders were French and Catholic. Métis children practiced both Catholic and Aboriginal beliefs.

7. RUPERT’S LAND Rupert's Land was a large area of Canada that was owned by the Hudson's Bay Company. King Charles II of England was the one who gave the land to the HBC.

8. HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY HBC land, 1821-1870 Created in 1670 by King Charles II. Originally called the “The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay” The HBC is the oldest retail company in North America and is one of the oldest in the world. It acted as a government in parts of North America before European-based colonies and countries existed. It was at one time the largest landowner in the world.

9. First Nations groups shifted and changed over time. Caused difficulties for trade: Trading partners less predictable Often resulted in fighting between First Nations groups for trading rights.

10. The French wanted to expand the fur trade West, too. They pushed inland and established trade with First Nations.

11. The French got in the way of a lot of the English traders because they had a stronger presence inland. The HBC decided to build more inland forts, which resulted in more tension.

12. North America in 1702

13. North America in 1750.