1. Ch. 4
The Selkirk Settlement, The Merger of the HBC & NWC, The Red River Valley from

2. The North West Company Formed in 1783.
Posts located in western and northern interior.
Native trappers traveled shorter distances.
Major trade depot at Fort William.
Had partners in Montreal who arranged shipment of fur pelts to England.
Trading standards were more relaxed.

3. Fort William

4. First Nation’s Trading House at Fort William

5. Canoe

7. Portages: 1821

8. Downsides for the First Nations
Their lives were disrupted due to the high demand for furs.
Trappers had to work full time and abandon their yearly cycle of fishing, hunting and preserving food.
Clash with cultural values.
Exposure to diseases such as smallpox and measles.

9. The Competition for furs
By the early 19th century fur resources were being depleted.
Both the NWC and the HBC had to move deeper inland to gain control of untapped resources.
NWC traders began wintering in their trading areas and staying with local Native groups.
Mixed marriages occurred as a result.
NWC approved of the marriages and HBC forbade them.

10. Trap used by an early fur trapper

11. Trade Goods
People would trade beaver pelts for goods that were needed by both the trappers and Native Peoples.
Items such as blankets, guns, powder and lead, knives, kettles and pots, cloth, food and spices, whiskey and such items were brought out to trade.
Europeans would take the furs and use them to make hats, clothing and other items.

12. Beaver Pelt : James Bay Region

13. Beaver House

14. Modifications to the Beaver Hat

15. Sorting furs at the Raw Fur Department, Hudson’s Bay Company branch in Vancouver

16. The Northwest Gun The Natives were intelligent customers.
They saw the advantages of firearms.
By 1620 firearms were flowing to the First Nations.
By 1750 a standard pattern of gun.
A dependable weapon for hunting and war.

17. Snake Side path on Northwest gun

18. The first American-made Northwest gun, by John Deringer, 1816

19. Powder Horn and Shooting Pouch

20. First Nations Fur Trade Beads

21. Some made beads from shells, stones, bones, and metal.
WHERE DID THE FIRST NATIONS GET THEIR BEADS?
Some made beads from shells, stones, bones, and metal.
Brightly colored glass beads sewn to First Nations clothing were all made by Europeans.
Today the Czech Republic and Japan are the leading producers glass beads.
Records from early trading posts show a beaver was worth: six Hudson's Bay beads.

22. Various Bead work

23. Pipe Bag of Big Bear

24. TRADE SILVER Silver made for trade to Natives was a fad.
Sales of silver steadily declined after 1820, but continued into the 1850s.

25. Cooking Pot

26. Hudson’s Bay Company Copper Kettles

27. 17th century Dutch Bearded Man Jug

28. Early 19th century English jar of bear grease used as hair pomade

29. Hatchet:

30. Hudson’s Bay Company job posting
1816

31. The Earl of Selkirk
Thomas Douglas – Earl of Selkirk – was determined to bring poor tenant farmers from Scotland to Canada
People who were affected by the enclosure movement
Selkirk created settlements in Maritimes & Upper Canada first
Was the director the HBC = influence

32. The Red River Valley Learns that the Red River Valley has fertile soil
Problem = convincing the HBC to ship foodstuff from England to the Northwest
Solution = create a settlement & have new farmers supply HBC employees with agricultural products
1811 – HBC gives the “Selkirk Grant” to Selkirk
Part of Rupert’s Land
Selkirk and HBC felt they had “legal right” to the land -> did not consider those already living there

33. The Red River Valley
1811 – 36 Scottish & Irish labourers with Miles Macdonell head to Selkirk Grant to prepare for colonists arrival
Problem = arrive too late in summer -> not prepared for the long winter -> spring harvest failed
Almost died
Solution = Pemmican Proclamation

34. Pemmican Proclamation
Fearing the crops would fail for a second year -> Macdonell issues the Pemmican Proclamation
Banned the sale & export of pemmican from the Red River Valley for one year
Reactions:
Metis depended on pemmican sales for survival -> were furious
NWC saw it as a way for the HBC to drive them out of the area
Macdonell was told to not interfere w/ NWC, but ignored his instructions -> told all NWC employees to leave their posts in the area

35. The NWC Strikes Back
1814 – NWC orders employees, Alexander Macdonell & Duncan Cameron, to drive out the colonists with the help of the Metis led by Cuthbert Grant
Harassed colonists, burned buildings, trampled crops, fired rifles at night
Convinced 133 colonists to leave
Arrest Miles Macdonell
Remaining colonists leave after
Metis become inspired to fight for their rights & land

36. Remember from last day What did the colonist trade for fur?
Why was the Red River Valley so valuable?
Who were the Metis
What did the HBC forbid, that made the Metis and NWC angry?

37. The Battle of Seven Oaks
HBC & colonists (plus new) come back to Red River by the end of summer (remember many colonist had left!)
Set out to make peace w/ NWC & Metis
They ignored advice about making peace & attacked instead
Burnt an empty NWC post
Metis & NWC see this as a declaration of war

38. The Battle of Seven Oaks
1816 – the Metis raid HBC boats
They take a large supply of pemmican
Attempt to move pemmican to Lake Winnipeg for NWC traders, but are seen from a lookout
HBC go to confront the Metis
Metis spilt into two groups & surround the HBC
Grant attempts to have a discussion & fails
Colonists fire at the Metis
Gunfight lasts 15 minutes
HBC governor (Semple) and 20 of his men are killed, one Metis is killed

39. The Battle of Seven Oaks
1817 – eventually Selkirk negotiates a treaty w/ the First Nations
Gains possession of land in Red River Valley
Payment = 100 lbs of tobacco a year

40. Video Clips
“The Selkirk Settlers”
“Seven Oaks” -

41. Question:
How can the Battle of Seven Oaks be seen as a turning point in Metis history. Explain…

42. The Merger of the HBC & the NWC – pg. 147-150
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper
1. Why did the HBC and NWC merge in 1821?
2. Describe the attitude of George and Frances Simpson towards the First Natives and Metis.
3. How were their views racists?
4. What impact did their views have on the Simpsons?
5. What impact did their views have on the Red River Settlement?

43. The Red River Rebellion

44. Talks about a new province of Manitoba
There was discussion about Canada purchasing Rupert’s Land from HBC after the merger
Canada sent out surveyors who didn’t respect the rights of those living there (Metis and First Nations

45. Provisional Government
Riel and his supporters were not ‘trying’ to start a rebellion
They wanted only to ensure that the people of the R.R.S would retain their rights and traditions after the region was sold to Canada

46. Provisional Government
Riel decided to set up a provisional government
maintain order and negotiate an agreement
Riel feared that the Canadian Party (under Governor McDougall) would take away their rights
Riel wanted to PROTECT the rights of all the groups in the settlement
provisional government = temporary government

47. The Canadian Party
One of the first immigrants to arrive in 1860 in RRS was Dr. John Christian Schultz
He started the ‘Nor’Wester’
He believed that people of protestants of European decent were superior to First Nations (and also were not Catholic or French!)

48. The Canadian Party
Used his newspaper as an anti-Metis propaganda outlet
“The Metis should either be driven from the country, or kept as cart drivers”
“The Metis, the indolent and the careless, like the native tribes of the country, will fall back before the march of superior intelligence”

49. An arrest and a proposal
Fearing what the Canadian Party was prepared to do, Riel led a party of armed Metis to Schultz’s house (which was the headquarters of the Canadian Party).
Schultz and forty-eight of his followers were ‘arrested’ by the Metis
Macdonald insisted that he was not eager to start a military conflict, but he said ‘should these miserable half-breeds no disband, they must be put down’

50. An escape and an execution!
Schultz escaped from the Metis’ prison and started to clash and insult the guards
Thomas Scott  the most belligerent and racist of the bunch and threatened the life of Louis Riel
He was put on trial by the Metis’ provisional government and sentences to death by firing squad

51. Consequences
Many people regretted the execution of Thomas Scott – but Riel left for Ottawa to negotiate the creation of Manitoba
Schults had also left – he used the execution to make the Metis look dangerous and uncultured (aka- don’t deserve rights)

52. Rebellion is defined as open, organized, and armed resistance to one's government or ruler. Resistance is defined as group action in opposition to those in power; the action of opposing something you disapprove of or disagree with.

53.  Were the events in Red River a rebellion or a resistance?
A rebellion tends to be seen as something that is illegal while a resistance is more often seen as a less powerful group struggling for justice from a dominant one.
The question is how should the Metis be viewed as resistance fighters or rebels?