Indians with Pierre Esprit Radisson and Medard Chouart, Sieur Des Groseilliers,

Charles Fort, 1671

 

Étienne Brûlé(c. 1592-1633):

The First Coureur de Bois

• Étienne Brûlé left his home in France and set sail for the new colony Quebec at the age of 16. Champlain sent him to live among the Huron people in 1610. He learned their language and their customs. This helped the colonist learn to understand their Huron neighbours.

• Brûlé was an excellent scout, or pathfinder. He went on many expeditions for Champlain and the fur traders. He explored the land west of Quebec. He had to travel through uncharted wilderness. He learned how to survive from the First Nations peoples.

• Brûlé later left the colony and returned to live with the Huron people. He lived with them for over 20 years. He became a great disappointment to Champlain.

• When the British captured Quebec in 1629, Champlain believed that it was Brûlé who had guided them up the St. Lawrence River. Brûlé was viewed as a traitor.

• The Huron people killed him a few years later. Champlain said he would not seek justice for the death of a traitor.

Kelsey sees the Buffalo, August 1691

• Henry Kelsey was born in England. He was an orphan who spent his youth in the streets of London. He began his career in the fur trade as a cabin boy on ships that carried supplies to the forts on Hudson Bay. In 1684 he remained behind at Fort York. Working as an apprentice, he learned the fur trade business.

• Kelsey continued to explore new territory. In June of 1690, he left York Factory in search of new First Nations trading partners. He headed west following a route Radisson had taken years earlier. When he reached the northern shores of Lake Winnipeg, he set up camp. He used this as his base for exploring the west.

• Company officials noticed his adventurous spirit and his love of exploring, which is how he earned his nickname. In 1689 he was sent north. Kelsey and his Cree partner set sail in a small ship. As they went further north, the ice became thick and made traveling slow. They abandon ship and continued by foot. They went further they any other white man had gone or would go for another 100 years.

• By the fall of 1690, Kelsey reached the prairies. He had gone further than any other white man. He spent the next two years living with the Plains Nation peoples. Kelsey had discovered a land rich in fur and learned about a "great wall of mountains" - which turned out to be the Rocky Mountains.

• During his lifetime, no one had realized the remarkable feat Kelsey had accomplished. Officials and explorers did not follow up on his travels or the tales he told even though he kept a detailed account of his travels. These were lost, and only rediscovered in 1929.

• He spent 30 years with Hudson's Bay Company. He was their chief trader and later became governor of all the trading posts, but never received recognition for the success of his explorations.

THOMAS DOUGLAS SELKIRKTHOMAS DOUGLAS SELKIRK(1771-1820): THE RED RIVER SETTLEMENT(1771-1820): THE RED RIVER SETTLEMENT

Selkirk was born in Scotland. He inherited his title and his fortune on the death of his father, which happened some years before his marriage. He was the seventh son and only inherited the title because all six of his older brothers died before his father did.

He wanted to use his money for the good of others. Many people in Scotland had no land and so it was difficult to make a living. Selkirk had a plan. He decided to help these poor Scottish farmers settle in Canada where there was plenty of land, which was offered to them for free.

Selkirk bought up Hudson's Bay Company stock until he controlled the company. Once he had control, he asked the company to give him some land. The company granted him 300 000 square kilometers of land along the banks of the Red River in what is now Manitoba.The Scottish farmers began arriving in 1812. There was a problem, however. The Red River settlement was in the middle of the route used by the North West Company traders to ship fur to Montreal. The traders were angry. They thought Hudson's Bay Company was starting a settlement on purpose in order to interfere with their fur trade. This started intense fighting and violence between the Baymen and the Nor'westers

Lord Selkirk traveled to the Red River Valley to try and put an end to the fighting between Baymen, Nor'westers and the Métis. He was not successful, however, in his attempt to use his authority to take control.

The last years of his life were spent defending himself against false charges of stealing land and supplies from the North West Company. It was a sad end to a dream of helping others.

• George Simpson

• (c.1787-1860):

• George Simpson was born in Scotland. The unemployment rate was very high there so, at the age of 14, he went to England in search of work. When he was 30, his relatives found him a job with HBC offices in London. In 1820 he became the chief officer of a trading post. In 1820 he was sent to North America to take charge should the company's governor be arrested by the North West Company.

• Simpson was made governor of the northern department in 1821 after the merger with the North West Company. He was described as cold hearted, but fair. He was good at making peace between the fur traders who had once been enemies. He was a strict businessman who did not want any waste.

• Simpson was a very formal person. When visiting fur posts, he wore a long black coat and a top hat. When he entered the post, he had a bagpiper playing music!

• Simpson realized the importance of finding new fur supplies. He also understood the value of conservation. When the fur supply was getting low in an area, he advised the traders to stop trapping the animals until the population increased again.

• Efficiency was important to running a profitable business. Simpson decided to change the method of travel used by the traders from canoe to York boats. This was because the York boats could carry more supplies.

• The fur trading area was divided into districts. Each district had its own supervisor. Simpson was put in charge of all the supervisors and became the governor in chief in 1826. He died in 1860.

HBC York Boats at Norway House

York boats had flat bottoms and a pointed bow, and were based on a very old design - Viking longships. They could carry three times as many furs as the largest canoe, but had one big disadvantage: they were heavy and could not be carried the same way canoes could.

 

Red River Carts leaving Fort Garry, 1863

Modern resurrection of Metis crafts

Bannock on a stick

Metis encampment at Ross House

The Metis Sash 

Began as the voyageur sash or ceinture fléchée Throughout its history the sash has meant different things to different people. However, no one has celebrated and adopted L'Assomption sash as part of their proud heritage as have the Métis.  Taking its name from the Quebec town where it was produced, L'Assomption sash was not only functional, but also colorful and identifiable as Métis apparel.The Métis Sash is a symbol of pride and identification for Métis People since it originates from both Aboriginal and European use. The finger-weaving technique in making a sash comes through Eastern Woodland Indian Peoples who used plant fibers to make ropes and garters. Wool and the sash as a piece of clothing comes from European Peoples.

The Métis sash is traditionally hand woven and 6 foot 8 inches long. It was used as a belt to hold a coat closed, and also as a scarf or a rope a temporary tumpline, key holder, first aid kit, washcloth, towel, and as an emergency bridle and saddle blanket. Its fringed ends could become a sewing kit when the Métis were on a buffalo hunt. The lives of the Métis people are interwoven through traditions, beliefs, and cultures - the sash is interwoven through patterns, strands, and colors. –

The colours of the Metis Sash

RED - The blood of the Métis shed through the years while fighting for our rights. Also one half of the traditional color of our

people.WHITE - Our connection to the Earth and our Creator. The color

light and of the infinity symbol of our flag representing our 2 peoples mixed and traveling together forever.  Also the other half

of the traditional color of our people.

BLUE - The depth of our spirit, the sky and the water and the color of our Flag.

GREEN - Is for the forests. The growth, fertility, prosperity of a great Nation. Along with the expansion and success of the Métis Nation and the reclaiming of their honorable status in Canada. 

YELLOW - Depicting the sun and also the potential for prosperity.

BLACK - The dark period of repression and dispossession.

Riel HouseNational Heritage

Site

• Riel House National Historic Site was occupied by the Riel family until 1969. Parks Canada purchased the property in 1970 and restored it to its 1886 appearance. Today, it commemorates more than just one man and one family; it represents the Métis people who were born of the fur trade, became a united nation behind their leader, Louis Riel, and whose culture remains a significant and vibrant force in Manitoba and throughout Canada

• As its name implies, this national historic site of Canada has close ties with Métis leader and a founder of Manitoba, Louis Riel. Occupying river lot 51 along the Red River, Riel House National Historic Site was Riel's family home. It is here, in the living room of his mother's house, that Riel's body lay in state for two days in December 1885. The house itself, a Red River Frame building (a style of construction popular for this region).