Summary Of The Role Of Native Women In The Fur Trade

In the article “The Role of Native Women in the Fur Trade Society of Western Canada, 1670-1830” by van kirk tells the story of women in the fur trade of the Canadian West. Fur trade was the dominant operation in shaping what today is Canada. In addition, fur trade has been seen by society as an all male affair, but this article takes the stand and argues the opposite side; the way in which Indian women played a significant role in promoting fur trade.

The fur trade was based on mutual exchange between an Indian man and a white man. Indians provided for fur, pelts and the market for the European Goods while indian man received a profit.The way In which Indian woman would maintained a flow of European Goods was by making tools such as kettles,

Intermarriage between traders and Indian women started to grow fast promoting cooperative and peaceful relationships. Indians viewed marriage as creating a multicultural society and as a way to improve economy. Thereby, à la façon du pays "custom of the country” or a marriage based on Native cultural norms and local customs rather than European ones. Do to à la façon du pays many traders became involved with the Indian kinship circle were traders would received sexual and domestic rights from their native wife and in return Indian women would get access to their husbands post and provisions. Although interracial marriage brought forward good benefits towards the native and non native community, the Hudson's Bay Company prohibited their traders from becoming romantically involved with Indians, but as time went on the traders began to break the rules and the company had to make some changes to their rules, making them more flexible about the forms of connection the traders could have with native

Furthermore, Indian women also contributed towards the preservation of food. During hunting season women were in charge of creating a buffalo hide sack by first skinning the animal and then cutting the meat into thin strips to be dried which were later pound, from then it was mixed with melted buffalo fat. Women also provide for fish, rabbits and partridges which mainly helped during the winter by keeping the fur traders alive. They also collected berries, wild rice, and made maple sugar for the spring. Many Indian women also help with the manufacturing of canoes, because of their experience with canoes, the Hudson Bay Company also asked Indian woman to paddle and steer the canoes. For the fact that their work was unpaid they did not get the recognition that indian women