Reconstituting tbc Fur Trade Community of the Assiniboine Basin, 1793 to 1812. by Margaret L. Clarke a thesis presented to The University of Winnipeg / The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History Winnipeg, Manitoba MARCH 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services seMces bibliographiques 395 WdtïSûeet 395, nn, Wellingtwi WONK1AW WONK1AON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Ll'brary of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, disbi'bute or sefl reproduire, prêter, disbiiuer ou copies of this thesis iu microfo~a, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic fomiats. la fome de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format eectronicpe. 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CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE :INTRODUCTION The Geogaphy of the Assnu'boine Basin Pmblem "Fur Trade Society" Methodology Problerns with Databases Problerns with Church Records CHAPTER WO: "BOUND TOGEltiER IN A KNOT" : FORERUNNERS TO 1800 2-28 Trade Diasporas 2-28 MyCross Connections 2-30 The Wimer of 1796- 1797 2-38 CHAPTER THREE : "A REAL NORTH WEST BALLw: THE ASSINIBOINE FUR TI?ADE COMMUNITY 1800-1805 344 The Cornmunity of 1805 3-45 Cross-Company Retationships 3-63 CHAPTER FOUR :TROUBE AT BRANDON HOUSE Hugh Heney in Charge The Orphans The Mennath of the Trouble The Aftennath: Hugh Heney Native Trade Relations CHAPTER FlVE :THE SECOND GENERATION :CHILDREN OF THE COUNTRY 5-106 CaAPTER SIX :CONCLUSIONS Marriages and Farniiies The Brandon Mutuiy Problems LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: TRADERS' LENGTH OF SERWE, ASSINIBOINE BASM, 1793-1800 2-34 FIGURE 2: EARLY MARRIAGE RELATIONS 2-34 FIGüRE 3: FUR T'RADE FAMILIES Di THE ASSIMBODY'E BASLN BEFORE 1800 2-37 FIGURE 4: LENGTH OF SERMCE IN THE ASSINIBOTNE BASIN - HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY, AS OF 1805 3-46 FIGURE 5: MALE, FEMALE RATIOS BASED ON ALEXANDER HENRY THE YOUNGER'S CENSUS, 1805 3-55 FïGURE 6: ETHNICTTY AND COMPANY: THE ASSINIBOINE BASIN lN 1804 3-57 FIGüRE 7: FAMILIES IN THE ASSiNIBOWE BASIN, 1805 34 FIGURE 8: MARRIAGES BY ETHMCIN OF MEN, ASSIMBOINE BASIN, AS OF 1805 3-62 FIGURE 9: MARRlAGES BY GEMIER AND ETHNTCïiY M THE ASSLNIBOINE BASW, 1805 348 FIGURE 10: MARRIAGES BY ETHNICIIY AND COMPANY iN THE ASSINIBOINE BASIN, 1805 3-68 FIGURE II: THE MEN OF BRANDON HOUSE - 1804 TO 1810 4-74 FIGURE 12: MEN IN BRANDON HOUSE iN t 810-1 1 4-98 FIGURE 13: MARRlAGES OF CHTLDREN FROM THE ASSMlBOINE BASIN 5-109 FIGüRE 14: SECOM) GENERATION CROSS-MARRIAGES AMONG CHILDREN OF THE ASSINIBOINE BASIN, 18 14-1 843 5-1 10 This study would not have begun without the research and collecting of TK(Pat) McCloy on the descendants of John McKay that 1 first encountered in the Glenbow Museum Archives, Calgary- My thanks to the staffthere for guidance and assistance throughout my midies. I am gratefid ahto Charles Denney for his ceseafch into the families of Red River aud for making bis collection accessible to researchers at the Glenbow Museum and the Edmonton Branch Libqof the Alberta Genealogy Society. My th& to the volunteers there who do so much in assisting those lodàng for their families. My persona1 thanks to Geoff Burtonsbaw for his assistance in my research, and for his work with family researchen in Calgary- Likewïse, my penonal thanks to Alfted Fortier, and La Société Historique de Saint-Boniface, for opening their database to me. This study could not have been conducteci without the permission OFthe Hudçon's Bay Company to research in and quote fiom their archives. Warm th& to Isaac Addai, who introduced me to historical dernography. My deepest thanks to nythesis advisor, Professor Jemifer S.K Brown whose continuous support, assistance and patience through the long editing process helped give my research resdable fom Recoastituting the Fur Trade Commuaity of the Asiaiboiae Basin, 1793 to 1812. Scholanhip on Metis and fur trade history bas tendeci to categorke French Métis and English mixed blood grorrps as separate ethnicities without accounting for the frequent crossniamkges between the groups. Studies have examined ethnic cbange in later Red River society from the standpoint of the (patemal) European ethnicity or of abonginal heritage- In this examination of a frn irade commimity in the AsSInibine River basin, an analysis of the ethnic origins of fur aade employees and the intemmmagesof their children is combined wïth the narrative of cross-company cooperation between the Northwest Company employees and the Hudson's Bay Company men. By reconstituting the comrnunity of the Assiniboine basin Margaret Clarke testeci the hypothesis that cross- cultural intemarriages were explainable by membenhip in a geographically bond commrmity and round that for specific fin trade employees, categorized as "stayers", the hypothesis was mie. Map 1. Assiniboine Basin and Area from Map 1 (drawn by Victor Lytwyn) in The ûiibwa of Western Canada. 1780 to 1870, hura Peus, 1994 (University of Manitoba Press) Chrpter One : Introduction The Geography of the Assiniboine Basin The Asslliiboine basin at the tum of the nineteenth century was a fascinating place. The Assiniboine River flows through parkland, the transitional zone between forest and prairie, for most of its [en* €iom its source west of the Lake Winnipegosis drainage basin on the central western rim of what is now Manitoba, to its contluence with the Red River. The basin fomis an "Lm which covers a distance of approximately 500 kilometres, although the river is much longer, due to its serpentine course, so typical of a prairieriver. Before the inmision of the fur aade into the are%the area was used by the Assiniboine or "Stone" Indians and the Plains Cree. During the early fur trade peridhm 1790 to 1820. the Ojibwa entered the eastern portion of the area' The basin also comected with the Missouri watershed through a route which began at the mouth of the Souris River. at its entry into the Assinihine. Thus it represented somethiag of a crossroads for the native population, a place where plains provisions, forest fÙrs and agriculturai products could be exchanged The Ojibwa trapping in the bush country around Lake Winnipegosis took their furs to posts in the basin such as Shell River and River Tremblante, while the Cree and Assinihine. as wll as the traders' men. brought in plains provisions nom the prairies.' ' .M. RF. The ~nclic~nsin the Arr Trade:Thek Rok as ffrrnrers.Trappers and Middiemen in rhe Lad.'rrrh~:esr 4 HztrCron Bq. 1660 - 1871). (Toronto: University of Toronto PrcssPrcss1 9741, pp. 102- 104. John McDonell described the Assimiine basin between the Forks of the Red and Assinbine rivers, and Fort E3pemce on the Qu'Appelle River. in 1797.~ From the Forks of the AssiniirT and Red rivers, the plains are quite near the banks* and so extensive that a man may travel here to Fort des Prairies, Rwky Mountain, MissourÏ, Mississippi and many other places without passing a wood a delong AU the wood km, as in the rest of the plains, king only small tufts, here and there, called by the French mlets de bois, smunded by the plains the same as an island is encompassed by water, and slips that ow on the richest lands, on low points near the river and on its bdcs. P About eight days travel upriver tiom the mouth ofthe Ked Kiver, and two days hmthe Forks was Portage La Prairie: Across this portage, which is about twelve miles over, the Fort Dauphin go& used to be canieci under the French commmdlanrs to Lake Manitou- bah and nom thence to River Dauphine. Three leagws farther up the river stood Le Fort des Trembles (Poplar Fort), and above it a wood, called Lo GrdeTrembiiere, which staretches a considerable distance into the plains, so that the cornmon road is through the centre of it .. Above the Grand Trembliere, the soil changes suddenly, the lower parts . king generally good mil, . whereas, above if the soi1 has attained such a mixture of yellow sad, that it is, in some places, covered "th grass . very ~pariogl~.~ ï'his change in soif appears to coincide with the beginning offorest. As Mcbnef l continued upriver, he detailed next a region of sandy hills which emded two leagues west of Pine ~odAfler discussing River la Souris. and the nade there with 'Wees". ccAssiniboils",and "roving Sauteux", and the Mandan trade, McDonell retumed to John Mc-li, *sams acanmt ofkRrd Rivar (abau 1797)" in MmVOL 1, pp265-28 1.