Javis W.

The Cree and the Hudson’s Bay Company Fur Trade

Javis W.
Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC) Heritage Fair
Winnipeg, MB

I found out that the fur trade started as a direct result of the creation of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1670. The company was created because of the search for a Northwest Passage and the persistence of two French fur traders, Radisson and Groseilliers. 

I learned that before the arrival of the European fur traders, the Cree were skilled hunters and trappers. They used a variety of tools and strategies to successfully hunt in the region. For example, they used willow bark to make fish nets and herded larger animals into pounds. They harvested resources sustainably and travelled within their traditional territories according to the migration patterns of the animals. My ancestors and my community, God’s Lake First Nation, came into direct contact with the Hudson’s Bay fur trade because geographically, we are part of the Hayes River watershed and near the Hudson’s Bay Company fur trade route from Lake Winnipeg to York Factory. 

At first, the Cree controlled the fur trade by acting as middlemen and trading with other First Nations. Later, they took on work directly with the Hudson’s Bay Company. For example, they made snowshoes and hunted so the employees would have food. This resulted in the Cree spending more time at the trading posts. This role is known as the homeguard. The Cree people also supplied many furs. Cree trappers spent winters on the traplines and would return in the spring to the trading posts. Many people in my community spent time on the traplines until the 1970s. 

The fur trade had a significant impact on the Cree. Dependence on European goods, competition for furs, and the spread of disease resulted in the loss of traditional knowledge, starvation, and ultimately, led to the treaty signing. 

What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?

I started the project by learning about the creation of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the early trading with the Cree. A lot of this information was easy to find online. This information was factual and focused on the contributions of the Hudson’s Bay Company and how its growth shaped Canada.

I wanted to learn more about how my community was involved in the fur trade and I found out that Hudson’s Bay posts opened and closed in the 1800s. It was really interesting to read the Hudson’s Bay Company journals at the post in my community between 1891 and 1893. These journals were found online at the Manitoba Archives. These journal entries were written from the perspective of the trader, but I learned about the starvation that was happening and how some people were forced into labour because they couldn’t pay their debts to the company or turned away when they didn’t have enough money.

When I talked to some Elders in my community, I learned more about the fur trade, and specifically traplines. These stories were the most interesting because they were told by the people who had experienced them. One Elder shared an old textbook about traditional hunting techniques. This was the most interesting source that I found because there were some techniques in the book that I didn’t know about before.

What is the historical significance of your topic?

The participation of the Cree people, including people from my own nation, in the fur trade was historically significant because it completely changed our traditions, our economy, and our independence. 

In the short-term, the fur trade began a new trading relationship between the Cree and the Europeans. The Cree were skilled traders and hunters and supplied furs, shared their knowledge with Europeans and helped them survive. They traded the furs for goods such as metal tools, guns, and cloth. Trading posts and the transportation of furs operated on routes used for thousands of years by the Cree. However, as soon as the fur trade began, so too did changes to the Cree way of life. In the competition to secure more furs, some animals were overhunted and the Cree became dependent on the Hudson’s Bay Company for goods and wages.

Long term, the growth and expansion of the Hudson’s Bay Company happened because of the participation of the Cree, so they too helped shape the development of Canada. The decline of the fur trade would have a devastating impact on Cree fur traders in the late 1800s and early 1900s and this would ultimately lead to signing of an adhesion to Treaty 5.

Why did you choose this topic?

I chose this topic because I want to better understand my community. I know that many things today are a result of the early relationship between the Cree and the European traders. Doing this project helped me understand how the Cree and the European people formed a relationship and how it changed our lives.