Learning new skills The first Europeans benefited from the knowledge of the First Nations and Métis. They exchanged survival strategies, hunting techniques, medicines, food, geogra... Learning new skills The first Europeans benefited from the knowledge of the First Nations and Métis. They exchanged survival strategies, hunting techniques, medicines, food, geographical data and transportation methods. New goods First Nations used new European technologies, such as medicines and metal tools. They also brought domesticated animals such as chickens, cows, sheep, pigs and horses, which provided new means of transportation. They also brought rifles, offering native peoples a new method of hunting. Conflicts and diseases The mistreatment inflicted by Europeans to native peoples and the introduction of new diseases caused suffering. While firearms improved hunting, they also led to deadly conflicts between native groups. Cultural changes European goods were important, leading First Nations peoples to rely on beaver trapping for trade. Environmental impacts Excessive hunting led to the disappearance of beaver populations, impacting biodiversity and the survival of other wildlife species that depended on the beaver, such as plants, fish and birds. European demand for furs changed trade in what is now Canada. For the First Nations, trade was a social event to gather friends and share news, gifts and stories. For Europeans, trade was a commercial transaction for profit. Trading posts were established by Europeans. They waited for the First Nations to arrive at the post by canoe. First Nations people traded their furs for items from Europe, such as cooking pots, kettles, coats and weapons. The coureurs de bois were young Frenchmen who traveled to eastern Canada to obtain furs. They were not licensed to transport goods, such as furs, to trading posts. The coureurs de bois befriended First Nations peoples and got to know the land. The coureurs de bois learned to trap beaver themselves, which increased the supply of beaver pelts. Women play an important role in the economy of the fur trade. They were responsible for cooking, sewing and fur processing. Thanadelthur (1697-1717) was a Dene woman from the Chipewyan nation. She served as a guide and interpreter for the Hudson's Bay Company. She helped establish peaceful relations between the HBC (Hudson's Bay Company) and the Dene and Cree, enabling the company to expand its trading activities in the region. Thanadelthur is remembered as a courageous and capable woman who contributed to peace and understanding. Country women were aboriginal women who maintained relationships with fur traders and European settlers in North America during the fur trade era. They lived with their European partners in isolated locations, such as fur-trading posts, in the wilderness known as the 'countryside'. The Trapper's Bride by Alfred Jacob Miller 1837 The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), one of North America's leading fur-trading companies, encouraged its employees to marry native women in order to foster goodwill with native groups and improve trade relations. Country wives in the HBC's regions played a crucial role in establishing links between native communities and the fur trading company. Descendants of Aboriginal and European unions, known as Métis, forged a distinct cultural identity through ethnogenesis, integrating elements of Aboriginal and European cultures. Métis communities have unique languages such as Michif, clothing, traditions and lifestyles. While Canada is often associated with the 19th-century Underground Railroad and the escape of enslaved people to freedom, it's important to recognize that before that, slavery also existed in parts of Canada Marie-Josèphe Angélique Marie-Josèphe Angélique est le nom donné à une esclave noire d'origine portugaise en Nouvelle-France par ses derniers propriétaires. En 1734, elle est accusée d'avoir mis le feu à la ville de Montréal. Le tribunal l'a torturée pour qu'elle admette sa culpabilité et elle a été exécutée. L'esclavage est reconnu et maintenu par les autorités coloniales, et les personnes asservies n'ont que peu de droits ou de protections juridiques. Les historiens ne s'accordent toujours pas sur le fait que Marie-Josèphe Angélique a commis le crime ou non. Read more