Métis and the Red River Settlement

HBC and NWC competition became more fierce:• Moved deeper inland• posts near each other

Who are the Métis?• Mix blood first nations and French (NWC

employees)

What is the purpose of the bison hunt?

Fresh meat, hide and for pemmican (which would be sold to traders)

Also a sense of community, pride, discipline and identity

What was the buffalo hunt like?

Whole family event, special horses (fast and guide by the riders knees)

Also dangerous – guns explode, horses trip & horns pierce

Who is Thomas Douglas?(Lord

Selkirk) He cared about under-privileged and

had $ to do something, worked for HBC

Why were Enclosures in Scotland an issue?

It forced renters off farm-land. Move to city and be factory worker or move to North America and farm

Lord Selkirk had created small settlements but what was his plan now?

Who would benefit? Large settlement that would be

farmed and provide food for HBC. 300,000 square km

Good for both HBC and Scottish people

What were Selkirk’s initial mistakes in choosing the land?

He was not concerned with climate, or people already in the region

Why did the NWC and Métis join together, burn houses, trample crops and shoot guns in the night?

Settlers had to use Fort Pembina (NWC) to survive the 1st 2 winters

With limited crops Macdonellnell issued aissued a Pemmican Proclamation

(No sale and export of Pemmican

Which……. Upset Métis who sell pem. Macdonell ordered NWC to vacate

post within 6 months

What were the results of the first settlement?

Macdonell was arrested and many colonist forced to leave

Semple his replacement burned an empty NWC post, Métis saw this as an act of war

Métis seize pemmican from HBC Métis felt they had right to land

BATTLE OF SEVEN OAKS

Semple felt the Métis were inferior, so brute force was the only way to deal with themSemple and 28 men vs. MétisIn 15 minutes, 20 men and Semple were killed only one Métis

What was Lord Selkirk’s Response to Seven Oaks?

Selkirk hired 95 Swiss mercenaries to come with him an he joined up w/Macdonell

Took control of area again for the 3rd time

Signed treaty with Cree, Ojibwa

(100 lbs of Tobacco)

Why?– Lawsuit over RRC would last 3 years– Resources depleting– Profits shrinking

Called HBC Increased land size and monopoly NWC partners sold shares More natives workers

• (Traders/trappers/translators/guides/map makers)• Built/repaired and paddle canoes• Sell pemmican

What was George Simpson like?

Hands on approach Go to posts without warning Called ‘Little Emperor’ – yelled at

them (small/controlling) He was 40 and married 18 yr old Rid of old wife and children (Métis) New wife: Frances was racist & not

social

Was stable for 20 yrs (Métis, Country born, Scottish,

Swiss, and HBC employees)

Who did what? Europeans farmers (a lot for HBC) Métis (Bison and Pemmican) main

staple Country Born white collar jobs (better than

Métis)• Clerks, teachers, store owners

Changes by 1840

80% Métis/Country Born Fur trade wanted free trade Crime to sell furs

HBC monopoly (won trial)

But with no jail sentence, the Métis, they felt they won

Women's work – with men grain harvesting process wool then go home and cook bannock 10-15 children small town gossipy Isolated & had to rely on each other

What changes occur b/w 1860-1870?

Population rise HBC decline Dominion of Canada Canada West filled more of west RR – Protestant ?

• (French and catholic)

-view Métis as inferior

John Schultz: ran newspaper and busines & hatred towards the Métis

$ decline crop failure, bison disappearing

HBC decline Métis do not own land

HBC sells Rupert's land to Canada ($/farmland/trade fur but no monopoly)

No concern for the RRS Surveyors– not recognize strip farms

(French style) Do not recognize land

claims since own by HBC, not Métis and other settlers

What happened? Angry with HBC, land

speculators, & Gov. Métis National Committee Provisional Government

• Control Manitoba entering Confederation not McDouglas (lose all their rights)

• Capture Schultz and his men (Canadian party)

Macdonald: called them “half-breeds”

Schultz escape but many of his men were caught again like Thomas Scott an extremist • Abused his guards and threatened Riel

Thomas Scott seen as a Martyr Military control Riel fled and was to

keep away for five years Métis given land but lose control of

Gov.

What changes occur b/w 1860-1870?

Why does this affect the Métis? Why was Rupert’s land sold? Why was there a rebellion 1869?

What happened during the Rebellion?

Why was Scott still hurting the Métis after his death?

What was the result?