Study resources
The Change: The Fur Trade brings Voyageurs (by Teagan)
Guiding Questions:
1.Who were the Voyageurs?
2. What challenges did they face?
What was the Fur Trade and was it important? The Fur Trade was for trading metal goods for valuable furs. The trading forts were usually built beside a river or lakes so it was easier for people to come and trade their stuff The beavers were mostly made into hats and then they would be shipped to Europe and then sold there.
The Voyageurs were important for moving supplies back and forth across Canada. They were hard working men, who needed to be very strong and fit so that they could stand up to the difficult lifestyle. They traveled by canoe for over 14 hours a day for 21 days in a
row. They had to battle rapids, cold waters and wild animals across the harsh Canadian Shield terrain. The Voyageurs carried sacks of supplies on their back, they were about 50-60 pounds, & after they would give the packs of fur to the Fur Trade so they can make it into something & sell it. The Voyageurs travel mostly by canoe, & when they paddle they sing songs to keep
the paddle rhythm & to keep company. Many Voyageurs married young First Nations women and their children became known as the Metis. Many Metis boys would take up the same work as the Voyageurs, and they were known as Metis Tripmen. The Metis tripmen wore a sash around their waist, the colors were usually red, blue, white, green, & yellow these colors each have a meaning.
The Change: The Arrival of Missionaries (By: Rebecca)
Guiding questions:
- What is a missionary and what do they do?
- How did missionaries change things in the Northwest Territories?
- What were some of the challenges people faced with the arrival of the missionaries?
In the time of the missionaries’ arrival, this part of Canada was called the Northwest Territories. This area was lonely, had open prairie land and small settlements and First Nations communities. In the 1840s to the 1850s the missionaries’ started to arrive. The missionaries were religious men and women who were on a ‘mission’ to spread their beliefs and to make people believe in their religion. The missionaries also came to the Northwest Territories to build schools, hospitals, churches, orphanages and more. The missionaries came to the Northwest Territory to share their religion with the First-Nations who already had their own spiritual beliefs. They built these things for people’s satisfaction and to help set up new communities and towns. the Chinese, Europeans and First Nations cultures collided. When people think of the word the missionaries arrival they think of people arriving to the Northwest Territories on a mission to make a change to the Northwest Territories and to change the lifestyle for the people.
Although the missionaries helped to build schools and hospitals, teach about farming, and help Indigenous people adapt to the changes to their land and way of life, there were many challenges as well. The Government of Canada wanted the Indigenous people to become more like the Europeans (assimilate) so that the West could be open for more settlers.To learn European ways meant a loss of culture for Indigenous people. Residential schools were opened by missionaries to help educate Indigenous children and these children experienced many hardships. Some examples included not seeing their family much, not being allowed to speak their native language or practice their traditional ways, and being harshly punished for showing their Indigenous ways. It was a difficult and lonely time for many Indigenous children and their families.
The Change: Forming the North West Mounted Police (By: Mika’il )
Guiding Questions:
- Why did the Canadian Government decide to send the NWMP to the west?
In the time of the establishment of the North West Mounted Police, this part of Canada was called the North West Territories. It was covered in vast patches of farm and ranch land. With low population and wealth work was hard and life was lonely. Very simple and almost no luxury that is how people lived.
This ‘no law country’ had to be safe for settlers, so the government decided to form the Mounted Police and send them out to bring law and order to the west. NWMP was established in 1873. The government formed it because no laws wasn’t working out too well for Canada. Not only did people illegally trade whiskey but the whiskey traders came to Canada to make it. Now, thanks to the NWMP, settlers were safer and were free to set up their communities. Many of the First Nations and Europeans were ecstatic that now they and their families were safe and the whiskey traders had left. Another reason the Canadian government formed the NWMP was to take control of the Western provinces to show the United States this area belonged to and was controlled by Canada.
The Change: Building the CPR (By: Gavin )
Guiding Questions:
- What people or groups of people were involved in building the railway?
- Why did Prime Minister John A. MacDonald want a railway built across Canada?
In the time of the building of the CPR, this part of Canada was called the North-West Territories. In 2015, all sorts of transportation is available to let people travel quickly across Canada. In 1870's, this was not the case. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was the first railway to connect western Canada to eastern Canada. It was completed in 1885 when they drove in the last spike in Craigellachie, BC. Before 1885 people traveled by foot, canoe and horse+ carriage to get anywhere they wanted to be. In 1879, the Prime Minister John A. MacDonald hired an American called William Van Horne to manage the building of a railway across Canada. He wanted it to be built in ten years to help transport settlers from Ukraine, Europe and United States to western Canada to farm. The railroad would help new settlers get to the Northwest Territories and also transport police and supplies to the west. The early settlers wanted land to farm. Many people were involved in the construction of the railway. Nine thousand Chinese workers came to Canada but they were treated with discrimination. They did very dangerous work like blasting tunnels through the moutains and building high bridges, but didn’t get as much money as the Eurpoean workers. Due to the unsafe conditions, six hundred Chinese workers died. The First Nations were also affected because the railway was built through their land, and when people came many of the buffalo became even more scarce.
The Change: Signing Treaties (By: Riviera )
Guiding Questions:
- Why did the First Nations groups want to sign the treaties?
- What changes did the treaties bring?
In the time of signing treaties, this part of Canada was called the Northwest Territories. Surrounding you would be open prairie as far as the eye could see. There were very few homes sitting on the prairie made of sod and mud. There were very few trees.
Treaties are agreements that are written down on paper. Many people were involved in signing treaties. There is at least 2 or more sides to each treaty. To identify which one is which they would give them names like Treaty 1, Treaty 2, Treaty 3, etc. For example, Treaty 7 was signed by groups of people for land in Southern Alberta. The first group was the First Nations. In this this group there were the: Siksika, Piikani, Kainai, Tsu T’ina, and Nakoda people. These groups had their leaders speak for all of the groups like for example, Chief Crowfoot. The other group were called ‘The Crown’. In this group, there were people representing the Canadian Government.
The Government of Canada wanted to sign these treaties because the First Nations were giving the land to the government in exchange for metal goods, farming tools and more. The Canadian government also offered to teach the First Nations people how to become good farmers. The First Nations wanted to sign the treaties because settlers were already moving onto the First Nations' land. Also, since many of the buffalo were gone, the First Nations people were worried that they would need a new lifestyle in order to survive. The First Nations believed that they were just sharing the land but the Canadian Government actually owned it.
The lives of the First Nations, the immigrants and settlers were changed. The First Nations started to use the metal, tools, weaponry, whiskey, etc. This made their life easier but they lost their old way of life and to this day, many First Nations still don’t know much about their traditional culture. The settlers’ lives changed because they had to get used to a new lifestyle. Also, when they moved here they built the town over the years as everyone moved here. They also met new people and learned a new language and a new culture.
Treaties like Treaty 7 are still part of the laws today.
The Change: Homesteaders (by Reagan and Emory)
Guiding Questions:
1. Why did settlers come from Ukraine, Germany and Britain to live in Alberta?
2. What were some of the challenges ‘homesteaders’ faced?
Imagine your family is poor and you’re not allowed to own land where you are living in Europe. You see an advertisement that shows an incredible offer: ten dollar fee for a house, animals and land. Your family decides to move to Western Canada because of this opportunity. You take a 3 week boat ride to arrive in Eastern Canada and a 4 week train ride and a when you finally arrive at your new ‘home’ in Alberta you have to wait at least 20 hours to get your land. They give you your property title and you head off. When you arrive at the land there is no house, animals or farm. You and your kids have to build your own.
Homesteaders were mostly Europeans who had moved to Canada because the Canadian government offered free land to populate the Canadian west. The term homesteader is used to name people who are self-sufficient living on their land. The Canadian government wanted European people to come because they were a people suited to prairie farming. However, many ethnic groups settled Canada and were good farmers. Most of the Homesteaders lived off of things they brought from the country that they lived in before they moved to Canada. Most homesteaders were not allowed to own land in Europe which is a big reason why they moved to Canada. Homesteaders in the summer lived in tents but they built houses for the winter to keep them warm. Their first houses were made of sod because they didn’t have enough wood on the prairies. Some Homesteaders immigrated to Canada because of WW1 and the poor and dangerous conditions in their homeland. Homesteaders/farmers would go into town to trade their wheat for money and that is how they made money. They used this money to buy seeds for next year’s crop and buy items that they could not make themselves. They did grow most of their own food and hunt for meat. When the homesteaders settled into their land if they have a family and they have lots of farm work to do their kids were allowed to stay home from school to help their parents catch up on their farm work. All the homesteaders that had arrived brought their knowledge, technique of farm methods and some equipment. They worked very hard. They were part of how Canada became a strong and rich country.