History

Haudenosaunee

The Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois, were part of the Six Nations Confederacy, comprising the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations. Between 1713 and 1800, they were known for their agricultural skills, living in villages with protective walls and practicing a matrilineal family structure. Gender roles were divided, with men responsible for hunting and building, and women for planting and making clothing. They valued living in harmony with the natural world and celebrated with ceremonies. The impact of European diseases affected their lives.


Inuit

Inuit Indigenous people inhabited the Northern Regions of Canada between 1713-1800. Their homeland, Inuit Nunangat (homeland), encompassed land, water, and ice. Family was central to their peaceful community-focused culture. They spoke Inuktitut and adapted to seasonal changes for hunting and living arrangements. Inuit believed everything had a spirit and that the dead continued living in the spirit world. Shamans communicated with spirits using charms and dances. Their lifestyle varied greatly between the short summers and long, dark winters. In interactions with Europeans, the Inuit acted as guides and traders but suffered from diseases and resource depletion brought by the newcomers.


Metis

The MĂ©tis Nation is a community of both First Nations and European descent, formally recognized by the Constitution of Canada. Historically, MĂ©tis communities were established along fur trading routes, blending European and First Nations cultures. Their marriages facilitated trade connections between Europeans and Indigenous people. MĂ©tis settlements were found in various regions of Canada. They incorporated Christian beliefs with traditional Indigenous practices and valued fiddle music and dancing: MĂ©tis daily life involved farming, nomadic living, and transportation using dogs, horses, and oxen. MĂ©tis women served as translators and were skilled in surviving Canadian winters. Traditional MĂ©tis food included bannock, berries, fish, buffalo meat, vegetables, and pemmican. Their language was Michif.

New France (1534-1763)

In the 1530s France sent explorers to find new land. They travelled west and landed in the Atlantic ports of Canada.  They called this the new France. Colonize means they sent people to live in a new region but still in the old country’s name. A settler is someone who travels to a new colony and settles there. They named this colony New France.


They had to deal with 3 main challenges


  • The harsh cold winters in New France

  • The lack of food and the fact they did not know how to hunt or if the soil was safe for farming.

  • They did not know if they could trust the Indigenous



Indigenous people are people who lived in the area in the beginning or before others arrived.


New World is a term used to describe the land of the west of Europe that we now call North America. The explorers who found the new world were looking for shipping routes to Asia so the French Traders could import silk. 


French Settlers

French settlers, also known as habitants, were individuals who migrated from France to the region of New France, which is now Quebec. They settled in this area due to its proximity to the St. Lawrence River and its fertile farmlands. Life was challenging for these settlers in the early 1800s, as they had to rely on manual labour and lacked modern amenities such as electricity. Their diet primarily consisted of bread, vegetables, fruits, and animal products. Many settlers worked as farmers, while others specialized in trades like woodworking and blacksmithing. Additionally, some settlers engaged in trade with the First Nation communities, exchanging metal items for beaver furs, which were highly valued for making clothing items.

Seigneurs and Habitants

Settlers in New France were initially explorers and fur traders, followed by farmers who were divided into seigneurs and habitants. Seigneurs, favoured by the king of France, were rewarded with large areas of land called seigneuries, which they developed with the help of habitants. The seigneuries were strategically located beside the St. Lawrence River for farming, transportation, and personal use. Habitants worked diligently on the land, but they had to give a portion of their crops to the seigneurs, pay taxes to the Church and government, and work without pay for ten days a year on the seigneur's fields.


Society in New France

The governance of New France was structured around key officials appointed by the King of France. The viceroy, or governor, acted on behalf of the King, overseeing the sovereign council responsible for legislation and taxes. The intendant, a high-ranking official, managed finance and justice. Members of the sovereign council were from the upper class and held significant power. The captain of the militia organized able-bodied men to defend the colony. Most residents were average citizens with various occupations, while some criminals were sent to New France as indentured servants. New France was also a hierarchical society with levels separated from one another, similar to today's school systems. The governor general was the top official, responsible for appointing members to the sovereign council, which made laws and determined tax rates. Intendants, also on the upper level of the hierarchy, ensured law enforcement and managed the country’s finances

Coureurs de bois

“Coureurs de bois” means runners of the woods, they were young French men who travelled to eastern Canada to get furs. They trade with the First Nation. Europeans and First Nation groups had different intentions for trading. For First Nations, it was a social event to bring friends together and share news, while for the Europeans it was a business to make profits. First Nations traded furs for pots, kettles, coats, and weapons from the Europeans. 


Women and the Fur Trade

Women both indigenous and European played important roles in supporting the fur trade. They were responsible for cooking, sewing, and processing furs.

Thanadelthur

Thanadelthur(1697-1717) was a Dene women from the Chipewyan. She helped establish peaceful relations between Hudson’s Bay Company, Dene, and the Cree. She was a guide and interpreter for Hudson’s Bay Company. She is remembered as a courageous and skilled woman.


Country Wives

Country Wives were Indigenous Women who had a relationship with European Fur Traders. They lived with their European partners on a remote island. Hudson’s Bay Company(one of Canada's major fur trade companies)had a policy for encouraging employees to marry Indigenous Women. They thought it was a good way to make friends with the Indigenous groups. The descendants(children) of the Indigenous and European unions were known as the Metis. The Metis had European and Indigenous cultures combined. This is called ethnogenesis, a process by which an ethnic group is formed and becomes distinct people.  

Catholic Church 

The Catholic Church in New France focused on spreading Catholicism and establishing it as the dominant religion. The French government aimed to make New France a Catholic colony, prohibiting non-Catholic settlers. Jesuit Priests were sent to spread the Roman Catholic faith and establish boys-only schools. However, the Indigenous communities already had their own spiritual beliefs, leading to conflict as the French did not respect their beliefs. This disrespect led to tensions and conflicts between the French and the Indigenous peoples.

What is a Historical Perspective

Historical Perspective means understanding the social, cultural, intellectual, and emotional.

A historical perspective is not

  1. Simply empathizing with people from a past time.

  2. Looking at the past through the lines of the present.

Priorities
The meaning of priorities is that they refer to things one considers more important than others; something which must be addressed first.

Concerns

Concerns are those things which may cause you to worry.

Beliefs

Beliefs can refer to a feeling of certainty that something exists, is true, or is good.

Values

Values include our principles or standards of behaviour, and what we believe to be important in life.

Customs

Customs refers to the usual behaviours, events, or traditions of a group.

Norms

Norms are the rules or expectations that are socially enforced.