Why did the voyageurs come to Canada?

Voyageurs were young men hired to transport goods to trading posts. They were forbidden to do any trading of their own. Until 1705, roughly 60 young men travelled on behalf of the Compagnie de la Colonie as far as the post of Detroit (founded in 1701).

What do voyageurs look like?

Voyageurs could be identified by their distinctive clothing. They often wore a red toque and a sash around their waist. The white cotton shirt was protection from the sun and mosquitoes. They also wore breeches with leggings and moccasins.

How much weight did voyageurs carry?

The standard load for a voyageur on a portage was two bundles, or 180 lb. Some carried more; there are reports of some voyageurs carrying five or more bundles and legends of them carrying eight.

Are voyageurs Metis?

From the 1770s until the 1821 merger, most voyageurs were French-Canadians from Lower Canada (now the southern portion of Quebec) and to a lesser extent Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) and Algonquins (Anishinaabeg). After the fur trade merger, the majority of boatmen working in the fur trade were Métis.

How many voyageurs were in a canoe?

This was considered to be a derogatory term. These men were seasonal workers employed mostly during the summer months who used canoes to transport their goods which could weigh as much as four tonnes. It was necessary to have up to ten men to safely navigate with so much on board.

When did the voyageurs come to Canada?

From the beginning of the fur trade in the 1680s until the late 1870s, the voyageurs were the blue-collar workers of the Montreal fur trade. At their height in the 1810s, they numbered as many as three thousand.

Are all French Canadians Métis?

Some French-speaking ethnic groups such as the Acadians, the Brayons and the Métis may be included among the French Canadian group in linguistic contexts, but they are considered separate ethnic and cultural groups from French Canadians due to their distinct histories.

What did voyageurs eat dinner?

At night, they settled by the firelight to enjoy a meal of pemmican, dried peas, or cornmeal. Cornmeal was made into hominy, a type of thick white porridge combined with bacon fat or bear grease for added taste. Sometimes they would have meat or fish that had either been caught or traded for during the day.

Is Métis Aboriginal?

Métis. Métis are a specific Indigenous (and Aboriginal) group in Canada with a very specific social history. Until very recently, they have not been regarded as ‘Indians’ under Canadian law and are never considered ‘First Nations.

What do the Métis call themselves?

In 2010 they renamed themselves NunatuKavut. Métis was never their desired Indigenous identity and was abandoned for an Inuit identity. At least this group is Indigenous. Since 2003, tens of thousands of individuals who previously identified as “white” are now identifying as Métis.