Indians and trade

1. Indians and trade

2. Two broad phases of trade between Native Americans and Europeans • Initial phase favored Native American • Second phase favored European • Difficult to put a date on break point • occurred at different times in different locations

3. Basic factor to look for • decrease in number of fur’s and skins • Animal pelts provide a good a clear marker • Primary trade item from America to Europe • There were three main types of pelt traded

4. Beaver • Primary region • Northeast America • Although Russia also took beaver from Northwest • A best seller in Europe • Soft, microscopically barbed under fur used in felt hats

5. Second category Smaller more exotic furs Marten Otter Black Fox Used for gowns of aristocrats

6. Third main pelt • From the southeast • Began later • Last quarter 17th C • White tail deer Breeches Saddlebags Bookbindings aprons

7. The availability of such fur and skins ensured that natives had plentiful supply for trade • Huge volume pelts • Mohicans and eastern Iroquois • 8000 beaver and otter skins to Fort Orange and New Amsterdam in 1626 • 1650, 46,000 to Fort Orange alone

8. For France in 1620s Quebec • 200 Huron in 60 -70 canoes brought 10,000 skins a year • 1640s • Despite 50% reduction in population due to disease and warfare • Huron provided 30,000 skins a year

9. Plymouth colony able to pay of its debts • Only because of Abenaki • Between 1631 – 1636 • 8,000 Beaver • 1,156 Otter • Despite these number majority of Abenaki pelts went to French

10. Southeast • Deer skin trade started later • Became huge • 1700 – 1715 • 54,000 skins/ year through Charleston • 1740 – 1762 • 152,000 skins/ year • Between 1739 and 1759 • Cherokee Hunters alone reduced the deer population by 1.25 million

11. The primary animal to sustain Cherokee life • white-tailed deer • Valuable food source • also provided non-food products • hides for clothing • Bones fashioned into tools and other instruments • Horns ‘pounded boiled &c’ to make glue

12. Bottles were made from deer skins in the following manner. • “They first cut off the deers feet and head, and then drew the ears through the skin of the neck, they then sewed up the feet, having the neck for the nose of the bottle &c.”

13. Ceremonies surrounding hunting and killing of the deer indicative of animal’s importance • Cherokee hunter, had to perform the correct ritual. The first part consisted of the singing of a deer song such as the one below: • O Deer, you stand close by the tree, • You sweeten your saliva with acorns, • Now you are standing near, • You have come to where your food rests on the ground 

14. This and similar songs would be sung repeatedly before starting on the hunt • or upon reaching the hunting ground • to attract deer • Second part of the ritual • which took place after the kill • consisted of a ceremonial prayer to ‘Little Deer’ • chief of the deer tribe

15. “Little Deer” instantly aware of any deer’s death • appears at the scene where he asks • ‘the blood stains upon the ground if they have heard’ the prayer • If the hunter has intoned the prayer before the kill, then all is well • if not “Little Deer” follows the hunter home and places the ‘spirit of rheumatism’ into the hunter’s body.

16. Relationship between Indian and animal a contract of mutual obligation • European epidemic disease began to ravage them • Indians took it to be a 'conspiracy' by animals against them. • When their own medicine man unable to cure these diseases, the stage was set for • 'war of retaliation’ • sacred agreement with the Keepers of the Game having been broken

17. Native Americans smart negotiators Montagnais hunter “The Beaver does everything perfectly well, it makes kettles, hatchets, swords, knives, bread, in short it makes everything”

18. Roger Williams 1642 Narragansetts • “willbeate all markets and try all places, and runne twenty, thirty, yea, forty mile[s] and more, and lodge in the Woods, to save six pence.” • Late 1600’s William Byrd noted that Indians would not take • “large white beads” • Instead of small ones • “Light Blue Blankets” • Instead of dark blue • “small hoes” • Instead of large

19. Deerskin and duffels • Common Native American name for early Europeans • “cloth makers” or “Coat-men” • Why did Native Americans exchange • Skins • Which the Europeans wanted for clothing • For blankets • Which the natives used as clothing

20. Theyanoquin “King hendrick” • Several reasons • Lighter and as warm • Dried faster • Remained suppler and softer when wet • Came in brighter colors than could be made in America • With knives or scissors easily made into clothing

21. Deadly MedicineNative Americans and Alcohol • Cadwaller Colden • Drunkeness • “has destroyed greater numbers, than all their Wars and Diseases put together” • Not true in the numbers but does suggest the impact

22. Alcohol Saturated Native America • Hudson Bay Company • Fort Albany • 1700 – 70 Gallons • 1753 – 2,300 Gallons • Sir William Johnson estimated • 1764 50,000 gallons of rum • John Stuart • 30,000 gallon in 3 months in 1776 • 120,000 gallons per year

23. No experience with alcohol • Drank to get drunk • Excuse for bad behavior • Led to deaths • Drink related murders • Exposure • Weakness to other diseases