The NorthWest Changes - MCI-11

Chapter 5- The NorthWest Changes
In your small groups around you:
Come up with a 'working definition' of what CULTURE is:
CULTURE INCLUDES THINGS LIKE:
- The way a person lives
- Everything that belongs to a worldview: food, dress, language,
religion etc.
* Culture is a system of shared beliefs, values, customs,
behaviors, and artifacts that members of a society use to
deal with their world and with one another.
* With culture in mind, you will begin studying the creation of an entirely
new culture during this time period. Although we have mentioned it briefly
in regards to the fur trade, the birth of this 'new culture and people' is
usually associated with the creation of the Red River Settlement.
Essential Question: How did the fur trade, European settlement,
and the rise of the Metis Nation transform life for people in the
Northwest?
Sub-Topics:
1) The Selkirk Settlement
2) The Metis
3) The Pemmican Proclamation and the Battle of Seven Oaks
Key Terms: (5 min)
1) Michif: A Metis language combining French, Cree, English and
Ojibway.
2) Red River Carts: Two wheeled carts drawn by oxen or
horses. They were made entirely of wood by the Metis, who
used them to transport products of the buffalo hunt.
3) Pemmican Proclamation: (1814) an order by the governor of
the Red River settlement that banned the export of pemmican
from the colony. They did this in order to feed the farmers in
the colony, whose crops had failed that year.
4) Battle of Seven Oaks: (1816) A battle involving Metis people
from Red River in the struggle for control of the fur trade
between the HBC and NWC.
Key Figures to Know:
1) Thomas Selkirk
3) Cuthbert Grant
2) Miles Macdonell
4) Robert Semple
Past and Present- The Forks of the Red and Assiniboine
*Page 142
Questions:
1) How many of these forts belonged to the HBC? What about
the NW Company? What does this tell you about their rivalry?
A: These forts, whether it be HBC or Northwest Company,
were literally located side by side. This would have intensified
the rivalry. (Think- Dufrense Furniture opens up a store right
beside Circle M)
2) There were 5 forts built where the two rivers meet. Why
would the forks be a good location to build forts and fur trade
settlements?
A: For transportation reasons, as canoe would of been the main
method of bringing furs to the forts. Also, the Red River led to
Hudson Bay (HBC) and the Assiniboine indirectly led to the
Rocky Mountains.
3) Looking at the two maps, is there still evidence today in
Winnipeg of its history as a fur-trade and settlement centre?
A: Yes, many of the street names share the names of these old
forts. Also, the HBC archives are located in downtown Winnipeg,
near the forks of the two rivers.
Quick Review:
The Fur Trade
- The time period we are dealing with is the early 1800's.
- Although political, economical, and social growth is
occurring in the east, the Northwest is mainly still controlled
by First Nations people, with fur trade posts scattered
throughout.
- The fur-trade competition between the HBC and the
Northwest Company is fierce. Often, their posts are located
side by side. Property is destroyed, and the odd time, people
are even killed.
- HBC is controlled by the British (created in 1608, ran out of
London, England), and the Northwest Company is a combination of
Scottish and French merchants that was created in 1779. It was ran
out of Montreal.
- The HBC monopoly (trading rights) is still in effect at this time,
although it is very difficult to regulate. (no fur trade police!)
Cloze Passage
- Used to assess both prior knowlege (what
you already know about the subject). Not a
big deal if you don't!
-Also, it will be used to assess what you have
learned from the readings, video clip and
notes once we finished the topic.
-If you do not get much of the cloze passage
filled out at first, DON'T WORRY!
- The key is to listen, stay focused and fill in
your passages as we cover the topic.
- This will be a guide from which you can
study, so take it seriously.
Cloze Passage (FIRST TRIAL COPY)
Throughout the first half of the ____ century, many Gaelic-speaking
_________ were displaced from the ________ regions of the country by
invading armies of ________. The _________ lairds, who were previously loyal
to the crofters on their lands, decided to _______ many of their tenants after
the price of _______ sky rocketed in __________. ________ was one of the
main resources used in the textile industry throughout the _________
__________. If the crofters were not willing to leave on their own, their houses
were often _______ to the ground. Yes, one could say that money was the
______ of all evil for these landowners in the Highlands.
After being displaced from the Highland areas, many crofters were faced
with two choices. First, they could _________ to the coastal regions of the
country to work as ________ farmers or fishermen. Second, they could take a
huge risk and choose to ________ across the Atlantic, to _______ ________.
Although this was expensive, philanthropists such as Lord ________ was willing
to lend a helping hand to his fellow countrymen. He was personally responsible
for establishing three colonies in British ________ _________. The most
notable of these was known as the _______ _______ Settlement, which was
located on the banks of the ______ and ___________ rivers. This is the site
of modern day ______________.
(Show clip on Highland Clearances)
The Highland Clearances
The Clearances
1. Where did the Clearances occur?
A: Predominately occurred in the Highland
regions of Scotland.
(Google Earth)
2. What were the Highland Clearances?
A: They were a series of evictions, in
which Scottish crofters were kicked off
the lands so more grazing land for sheep
could be created. (Sunderland account)
A Scottish Croft
3. What's a crofter?
A: A crofter was someone who lived on the
Laird's land. They often had their own plot
of land which was enclosed by a fence. In
return, they paid rent and worked certain
days during the month for the Laird.
(somewhat similar to the seigneurhabitant relationship in New France)
3. Why were sheep so important during this
time period?
A: The Industrial Revolution had created a
huge demand for wool. Landlords could make
more $ of sheep than off the crofters'
rent.
4. So what did the Scottish crofters do?
- Some tried moving to the coastal areas
of Scotland to fish and farm kelp.
-Other people from Scotland decided to
immigrate to Canada from the 1790's
onward.
-Many settled in colonies established in
PEI, Upper Canada and....
The Exiles
Your Assignment
Read page 146 and 147 of your
text to answer the following:
1) Who was Lord Selkirk and
what role did he play in the
Highland Clearances?
2) What was life like for early
settlers? How were they able
to survive?
3) Why did the Northwest
Company at Fort Gilbraltar
dislike the Selkirk Settlers?
The Selkirk Settlement
(1:09:29-1:17:15 Start)
THE SELKIRK CONCESSION OF ASSINIBOIA
Read page 146 and 147 of your text to answer the following:
1) Who was Lord Selkirk and what role did he play in the Highland
Clearances?
A: Lord Selkirk (Thomas Douglas) was a Scottish philanthropist
that used his family inheritance to purchase land in what is now
Manitoba. He did this so his fellow countrymen had a place to
settle after being evicted out of the Highlands of Scotland by
rich, land-owning crofters, who favoured sheep. (Wool=$)
2) What was life like for early settlers? How were they able to
survive?
A: Life was very hard at first, especially the winters and flooding
that occurred. The first settlers survived thanks to the local
native groups. They were rarely involved in the fur trade. Instead,
they tried to farm. This often failed because of the flooding.
3) Why did the Northwest Company at Fort Gilbraltar dislike the
Selkirk Settlers?
A: They viewed the Selkirk Settlers as a people that would ruin
their trade and trade routes in the area. The Nor'Westers
thought the HBC was doing this on purpose to sabotage them.
The Pemmican Proclamation
&
The Battle of Seven Oaks
The Battle of Seven Oaks
The Pemmican Proclamation
By 1810, the Metis were the main business partners of the
NorthWest Company.
- They provided pemmican and buffalo products to the NWC.
Problem: The Selkirk settlers were not successful at farming.
So, they began to hunt bison for food. Now, there is competition
between two groups that already were weary of each other.
- To solve the famine, Miles
Macdonell (governor of the colony)
issues the Pemmican Proclamation.
- This banned the export of all
pemmican from the colony to make
sure the settlers wouldn't starve.
- This ban affected the Metis ability
to trade, and even make a living.
- The NWC also had to look for
another food source for it's fur
trade posts.
The Pemmican Wars
- HBC workers began to raid and seize pemmican from NWC
forts.
- The Nor'Westers reply by arresting the HBC workers for
burglary and destroying the Selkirk Settler's crops.
* The Metis and Nor'Westers decided they would do whatever
possible to force the settlers out of the colony.
- By 1815, all that remains is 3 settlers in the entire colony!
ED- By issuing the Pemmican Proclamation, Governor Macdonell caused
suffering among the Metis and Nor'Westers in order to help the new
colony survive. Were his actions justifiable? Why or why not?
The Battle of Seven Oaks- 2 Key Figures
Robert Semple
- Semple is the new governor of the
colony after Macdonell.
- He orders the HBC to burn Ft.
Gilbraltr, a NWC fort. (declaration of
war)
- He is killed at the Battle of Seven
Oaks.
Cuthbert Grant
- Being Metis (Scottish and Cree), he
ends up being a spokesman for his people.
- Cuthbert Grant (Metis) leads a party of
60 men into battle with Semple and the
HBC.
- Within 15 mins, Semple and 20 of his
men were dead.
The Result of Tensions: Merger
- In 1821, the Northwest Company is dissolved into the HBC. Even to
this day, they still own some shares in the company.
- At this point in Canadian history, the fur trade is on it's downward
decline....
METIS CULTURE
- Metis culture is summarized on pages 148-151.
* We will complete this section as a jigsaw activity. But, it must be
completed this class.
Group #1: Overview of the Metis at Red River (pg. 148)
Group #2: Metis Language, Music, and Dance (pg. 149)
Group #3: Metis Women and Metis Government (pg. 149-150)
Group #4: The Buffalo Hunt (pg. 150)
Group #5: The Red River Cart (pg. 151)
- You will have 20 minutes to create point-form notes in a Google
Document, or use chart paper if you like. Once presented, we will add
what we think is important to our notes. Use additional resources!
Resource on Metis
The Metis at Red River- An Overview
- The Red River Settlement is largely considered to be the 'home' of a
new cultural group called the Metis.
- Involved in the fur trade, most Metis worked for the Northwest
Company, the chief rival of the HBC. (so imagine the resentment
between the Metis and the Scottish who arrived)
*Page 148
Metis
FIRST NATIONS
FRENCH INFLUENCE
Michif
-WORKED FOR
NWC.
-Roman CATHOLIC
Country-Born
FIRST NATIONS
ENGLISH/SCOTTISH
Michif
WORKED FOR
HBC.
-PROTESTANT.
- Metis culture was a result of the French Fur Trade...
- Metis culture grew to represent both sides of their ancestral
background as well as their geographic setting.
Eg- French & First Nations------The Prairies.
- Many Metis men worked as guides in the fur trade for the
NorthWest Company.
- Metis and Country-Born begin to develop in the Red River
Settlement.
- Metis tend to be Roman-Catholic----Country-Born are
Protestant.
THE BUFFALO HUNT
- Before horses: buffalo jumps and pounds were used to capture
or kill the buffalo.
- Red River Cart was used in the hunt as a method of
transporting the carcasses.
- Eventually, rifles were used to kill the buffalo at close
quarters while on horseback.
-Men hunted and killed
-Women and children skinned, tanned and prepared the meat
- Buffalo provide the main source of food for the Metis
Metis Language, Music and Dance
- Language was Michif- It was a mix of Cree, French and English.
http://www.metismuseum.ca/michif_dictionary.php
- Music- Used the fiddle, harmonica and mouth harp. Fiddle was
introduced by the French and Scottish.
- Dance- Consist of reels and jigs that are a blend of the Waltz
and traditional First Nations footwork. "The Red River Jig" is
their unofficial anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ0wUdVrqKE
Metis Women & Metis Government
- Metis Women: Made clothing, prepared food like pemmican
and buffalo.
- During the Hunt: Women cleaned and tanned the hides and
prepared the meat for winter storage.
- Metis government revolved around the Hunt.
- Council decided where the hunt would take place along
with how many animals would be killed.
- Strict rules were needed to manage such a large group of
people.
THE RED RIVER CART
- 2 wheel carts made of wood tied together with leather. It
was pulled by oxen or horses.
Benefits of the carts:
- Can go through mud and marsh
- They are buoyant
- Can carry strong loads
- Are easy to fix
- Eventually, different transportation is needed. Train tracks
are built, which effects the Buffalo migration.
The Metis Flag
Questions
a) How did the Pemmican Proclamation lead to the Battle of Seven Oaks? Explain.
The PP lead to the Pemmican Wars. HBC men confiscated pemmican from the NWC. The NWC need the pemmican to carry out their
business. They retaliated and arrested HBC men and destroyed Selkirk settlers crops. The Selkirk settlement was in shambles. The
Pemmican wars came to a head at Seven Oaks when the Metis lead by Cuthbert Grant met up with Governor Semple and 27 HBC men. A
fight broke out and Semple and 20 of his men died. 1 Metis died.
b) Who was Cuthbert Grant?Metis Mother, Scottish farther, became the leader of the Metis and spokesman
c) What happened to the HBC and NWCO in 1821?Amalgamated under the Name HBC
d) In what ways did the increase in demand for buffalo robes have both a positive and negative consequences for the Metis economy?
The increase in demand for buffalo robes had both positive and negative consequences for
the Métis economy. Because buffalo robes were in high demand there was an immediate
economic benefit to Métis hunters who worked to provide them. The negative aspect relates
to the idea that the population of bison was pressured so that it was not sustainable as a
resource. The demise of the herd led to repercussions to the Métis who depended upon the
bison for food and their livelihood.
Seven Oaks
1. Why did the arrival of additional settlers each year pose a problem to the Selkirk settlers?
They arrived too late to plant a crop and had to be fed pemmican needed by the NWC.
2. Suggest two reasons why HBC Governor banned the export of pemmican and other food products from
the Red River region.
To ensure there was sufficient food for the newcomers; to put pressure on the NWC.
3. What was the Métis and NWC response?
They tried to drive the settlers out by burning their homes and driving off livestock; eventually they killed 21
HBC men at Seven Oaks.
4. What was the effect of the competition and violence on the HBC and NWC?
Both companies were losing money; the Colonial Office called for a truce and encouraged the two
companies to merge.
Video Clips
Episode 6- Pathfinders- 1670-1850
1) The Selkirk Settlers- 8 minutes: Metis and Buffalo, Lord Selkirk
and Settlers along the Red River.
2) Seven Oaks- 4 minutes: Pemmican Proclamation, Fort Gilbraltar,
Violence at Seven Oaks, 1821 Merger with the HBC.