The development of the Metis culture in western Canada ...

White men and Indian women in the fur trade society

 

A year ago, I'd never heard of the Metis people, so I find it quite funny that now I'm having to research and write essays about them.  Last night, I finished the first assignment for the Canadian history course that I am required to complete before Alberta will allow me to teach there.  At first, I was excited about doing the course but already I'm sick of it - it's proving to be quite challenging on a few fronts.  Firstly, as an Australian, I have started the course with absolutely no background knowledge at all.  Secondly, the readings and assignment requirements are difficult because they are completely different in structure and expectations to those in an education course.  And finally, the referencing system that is used in history essays is ridiculous - so many pedantic rules about the order of the text information and the indents ... what difference does it have if the text is indented 1/2 cm or 1 cm or, heaven forbid, not at all?!  Based on these factors, I found the first assignment, 1500 words about women's role in the development of the Metis culture, very time consuming and challenging.  Ask me to write 1500 words about something to do with education and I can probably whip up something reasonably educated, but for this assignment, it was a painful process of writing whilst desperately watching the word count creep up.  Having said all that, I did learn a lot, although how it will help me to teach in Alberta, I'm not so sure.  I won't bore you with the 1500 words of dribble, but here's the general gist ...

In 1670, white men arrived in western Canada to make money in the fur trade.  When they got there, they married native women who were a huge help to the fur trade economy - they spoke the local language, they knew how to trap animals, they made/preserved food  etc. as well as all the other wifely duties ... oh, and they were happy living in such a harsh environment, not like the white women.  When these white/Indian marriages produced children, they were known as the Metis ('halfbreed' in French ... since it was predominantly the French who began the whole thing).  Those kids had a tough upbringing because they had difficulties finding their identity within either culture.  But, the women did a pretty good job and most children grew up with some Indian traditions and a Christian upbringing.

So there you have it, the the start of the Metis culture in a nutshell!  The next unit is about the pioneer women who arrived in the late 1800s, which should also be interesting.  Until then, I'll wait for my results on this assignment, hoping that I've at least got some of the important indenting right and have passed it!