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The Impact On The First Nations Fur Trade

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The impact on the First Nations Fur Trade

Brayden Nov. 15, 2022

European settlement started during the Canadian fur trade in the 1600’s when the demand for beaver furs skyrocketed in Europe. Hudson’s Bay Company and Northwest Company saw an opportunity to profit and started enlisting the help of First Nations trappers. Lasting until the early 1800’s when the market declined, the fur trade revolved around First Nation trappers selling beaver pelts to the companies for profit, however, the process slowly killing the beaver population to the brink of extinction. Although the profits were good, business began to decline after …show more content…

The Selkirk settlement took place after HBC granted Lord Selkirk 300,000 kilometers of First Nations land in the Red River Valley for use of farming land forcing Métis and First Nations residents living there to relocate. In addition, in later years HBC employee Miles McDonnell banned the sale and export of pemmican, a staple food in First Nations culture used in clothing, food, bags, and as a source of protein on the go. The First Nations people took a financial impact because pemmican was used in trade in the Red River Valley, and in hopes to make peace, a group of HBC colonists set out to the Red River Valley. However, when NWC and the First Nations people refused the treaty, HBC burned down a NWC trading post and the Métis stole pemmican from an HBC boat. This led to the Battle of Seven Oaks, a gunfight between a group of Métis people and 28 HBC men. The Battle of Seven Oaks was won by the Métis people and contributed to the merger of HBC and …show more content…

Since the First Nations people did not have the knowledge of or immunity to diseases such as Smallpox and Measles, when the Europeans arrived in Canada for the fur trade, these new diseases quickly spread amongst First Nations communities. It is estimated that smallpox wiped out around 75% of the First Nations peoples and their villages. Furthermore, HBC was demanding more furs than ever and in response, the First Nations people started setting aside important traditions and parts of their yearly cycle such as fishing, hunting, and preserving foods just to keep up with HBC’s constant demand. With the yearly cycle being put aside and all the deaths adding up, important knowledge and First Nations culture was being lost instead of being passed down to future

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