Land Based Fur Trade- Contact and Conflict

Land Based Fur Trade

In 1793- Alexander Mackenzie completed the first overland crossing of North America. He came down from the Bella Coola River and reached Bentinck Arm

Forts created and established In 1805 at McLeod Lake, Simon Fraser

established a first permanent trading post In 1807 Fort George was built in the Junction of

Fraser and Nechako Rivers In 1808, Simon Fraser made his journey to the

Fraser River but it was neither Columbia nor a satisfactory route to the sea

In July 1811, Thompson reached the Columbia Upon Thompson's arrival, He found John Jacob

Astor's Pacific Fur Company constructing Fort Astoria

Forts created and established War of 1812 – North West Company acquired Fort Astoria

and renamed it to Fort George In 1821, Hudson's Bay Company merged with North West

Company and this was the time when the fur resource was exploited systematically

In 1820's Peter Skene Ogden lead a series of expeditions into the Snake Country

In 1827, Fort Langley was established In 1829, Fort in the territory of Chilcotin Indians was

established They were always uneasy Not interested in trading for fur at the port company traders were always short of tradeing goods,

maintained high tariff and rejected poor quality furs

Forts created and established

In 1844, the post was abandoned In 1830's, Two more ports were founded In 1831, Fort Simpson was built at the mouth of

Nass River In 1833, Fort McLoughlin – in Milbanke Sound In 1843, Fort Victoria was built

Watercrafts

In 1827, Schooner Cadboro was acquired

In 1831, Lama, a brig, was purchased

In 1835, Beaver, a steamship, was acquired

Trading with Indians Indians were the

“masters of the art of manipulating competing traders”

Indians were very sagacious to pursue their interest ex. “To doctor a land

otter pelt pass it off as a sea otter”

Deficient and Defective Skin were enlarged or Coloured

Indians were very hard to bargain with – exorbitant demands In May 1837, Dr.

John Kennedy spent whole day for trading but he was unable to achieve anything

Trading with Indians

Trading with Indians Nishga Indians of Nass river were annoyed when they

heard that Fort Simpson would be moved to the territory of coast Tsimshian

In 1844, Fort McLoughlin was abandoned wnen the Indians were fishing

Coastal Indians were more richer than Interior Indians Inter-tribal trading – Iron from the coast was found

as far a Sekani of Finlay and Parsnip Rivers Fort Simpson Tsimshian led by Legaic had a

monopoly over trade to the Gitxsan of the Upper Skeena River Because Legaic was so powerful, Indians who

tried to break the monopoly was severely punished

Trading with Indians

Indians of Milbanke Sound acted as dealers between the fort (McLoughlin) and the Interior They were the middlemen who were able

to sell large quantity of fur to the Russians Shakes' A Stikine Leader, had the control of

monopoly at the Stikine Grand Mart of Stikine – village 150 miles

from the sea and 60 miles from Dease Lake

Trading with Indians

Debtor System by the North West Company - “Indians were sold goods and equipment in the fall and were expected to pay for them in furs the following spring” retained the program because it made Interior

Indians less susceptible to higher prices by the coast

1839 Hudson's Bay Company and Russians made an agreement that will reduce American vessels from 1840

In 1840, they have reduced competition on coast

Indians vs Companies Captain T. Spaulding – “Company was murdering

hundreds of Indians every year” McLoughlin countered that there are no benefit from the

destruction of the source of supply HBC Territories (dependent indians) – proper state of

subordination Pacific Northwest (Independent Indians) – mild and

cautious measures Examples of individual brutality – women's ears cut off,

castration at Fort Vancouver In 1828, murder Alexander McKenzie and four other men

by Indians of Port Townsend this led to an expedition to destroy Indian Property

Indians vs Companies

In 1841, Indians took revenge and murdered Samuel Black

Songhees threatened to attack company establishment Demonstration of Destructive Capabilities of

muskets or cannons Chief trader Roderick Finlayson fired a

cannon to a house which impressed Songhees and quarrel was settled by negotiations

Indian Women In 1824, officers and servants are required “to make

adequate provision for Indian women and their children not only when they are in the country but also after their departure John Work – described his wife as “an affectionate

partner who took good care of my children and myself Useful Link between traders and the savages

”Connubial alliances are the best security we can have of the Goodwill of the Natives”

Daughters of Indian leaders John Kennedy married to Legaic's Daughter – an

alliance to facilitate trade Matrilineal exogamous clans

Indian Land

There was little intrusion on Indian Land during the Fur trading period they retained their

village sites hunting and fishing

grounds were unmolested

They wanted Indians to gather fur rather than engaging in a warfare with them

Effects of Land Based Fur Trade it reduced the wealth of

Indians living on the borders of the coast

people in the border experienced a declining standard of living

Dr John Scouler observed that when sea otters had abandoned the Queen Charlotte, Haida became poor which resulted them to cultivate potatoes and sell them in bulk.

Diseases acquired by the Indians

Venereal Disease Gonorrhea Syphilis Smallpox

In 1838, Douglas wrote that smallpox had killed 1/3 of Indian population

Reverend Herbert Beaver claimed that smallpox had only killed 1/3 of those attacked

Indian Art

Indian art forms continued to flourish metal tools made wood

carving easier acquired wealth allowed

more ceremonies that are accompanied by the totem poles

increase in number and size of potlatches