THE FUR TRADE ERA

1. THE FUR TRADE ERA Chapter 4

2. EUROPEAN EXPANSION • Northwest one of last regions of European colonialism • 1700s Europeans had explored and colonized rest of world • England and Spain rivaled for supremacy of Pacific • better access to Asian markets • looking for Northwest Passage • Russians crossed the Bering Strait and moved south

3. THE NUU-CHAH-NULTH MEET COOK • James Cook 1778 • to claim uninhabited lands for Britain • landed west coast Vancouver Island • spent 1 month with Nuu-chah-nulth people • misinterpreted name as “nutka” (Nootka) • means “go around” (to find safe anchorage) • spent time repair ships, crew rest, trade • left with 1500 sea otter pelts • great profit from sale in China • begins the race for west coast furs

4. MARITIME FUR TRADE • following 25 years, nearly 200 from Britain, Spain and US to trade for sea otter • included timber • claimed sovereignty over land in name of king/queen • European traders stayed aboard expecting the First Nations to bring the furs • sometimes taken ashore and honoured with a feast • First Nations integrated Europeans into traditional social system • treated the visitors as visiting chiefs • welcoming ceremony • blowing eagle down as sign of peace • expected exchange of gifts before negotiation • often women had important say in final price

5. sought after trade items by First Nations • iron – chisels, axes • firearms • copper • cloth • food items to be stored – rice, molasses, biscuits • 10-20 ships per year during the peak • by 1840s sea otter population scarce • by 1900 nearly extinct • maritime trade in decline by 1820s

6. LAND-BASED FUR TRADE • soon after maritime trade started, traders from overland crossed the Rockies • Northwest Company first to push through • Alexander Mackenzie first to reach Pacific at Bella Coola 1793 • Fraser and Thompson in early 1800s • Fraser established first forts • Fort McLeod 1805 • HBC continued expansion after merge with NWC • land based trade chiefly on beaver fur • European goods limited to canoe transport • guns • blankets became principal trade item • foods – sugar, flour, tobacco

7. First Nations as skilled traders - (remember – First Nations had been trading for thousands of years) - women’s participation (68) ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS From the Journal of Vancouver’s Voyage, 1793-1794: Trading with the Kitkatla, 1793 In traficing for some furs & curiosites it was observed that neither of the men would close a bargain let it be ever so advantageous without first consulting the women, & if any of them gave a negative to it or made any objections, the things were instantly handed into the Ship. From Charles Bishop’s Log of the Ruby: Trading with the Haida, 1795 Seeing so many Women about the Ship one would Suppose nothing hostile was Intended, but it is to be remembered that the Eannas [women] are Kings, and Govern the men throughout these Islands, with a degree of dispoticAthority. What ever they Say the men must do. Nor dare the men Sell a Single fur without first shewing the Goods to Eanna.

8. Europeans integrated into complex trading system • depended on First Nations for furs and food • tribes controlling trade routes pre-contact continued to exercise control • fort increased status and power • HBC forts • extended down to mouth Columbia river • headquarters was Fort Vancouver (Washington) • after 1846 and Oregon Treaty, Fort Victoria became headquarters • forts were to be protection against hostile environment

9. WOMEN IN THE FUR TRADE • women played an integral role • left on own to provide for families when men away • prepared furs • extra work of cleaning salmon • participation in social structure of fort life • married company employees and their families lived in fort • marriages as alliances between high-ranking families and company officers • political and economic bond • on personal level • provided companionship and domestic duties • however – not considered equal and suffered racial discrimination • sometimes abandoned when men returned to Europe • able to bridge gap between cultures

10. IMPACTS OF THE FUR TRADE • changed the daily lives of First Nations • increase amount of time on seasonal activities • women busier doing more work • trade oriented tasks replaced traditional harvesting and preparation • dependency on European supplies • changed traditional settlement patterns • displaced by other aboriginal groups wanting more territory/resources • trade goods • in some ways made life easier • increases status of users • Coastal chiefs increased wealth and power substantially

11. DEVASTATION BY DISEASE • greatest devastation was depopulation due to disease epidemics • estimated pre-contact = 200,000 – 400,000 • by 1900 = 25,000 • decreased by 90-95% • measles and smallpox • First Nations had no immunity since the diseases didn’t exist here in BC • first epidemic was 1770s – smallpox • killed 60% of people infected • 1840s measles epidemic • outbreaks along the trading routes

12. 1862 – single worst epidemic (smallpox) • killed as many at 70% • started in Victoria by a passenger arriving from San Francisco • killed so many, those left were forced to move north • reports of sick and dead left along the coast • hit people harder than any cannon fire could have • epidemic didn’t end at coast • trading networks took disease into interior • devastation • entire villages wiped out • 60-90% of population died in others • loss of family, communities • leadership destroyed • now all energy to simply cope and survive