“It is irrefutable that contact and the fur trade set into motion processes that led to the loss of autonomy of the Indian societies. ... Companies were formed and monopoly charters granted by the French crown in an attempt to exclude foreigners from this lucrative trade. ... Through the change in social organization due to the introduction of trade goods and technology, forced assimilation and political modification, and the admittance of new diseases, Canada’s Aboriginal population was inflicted with injuries that are felt to this day.
Dependence on trade goods is commonly seen as a cause of the relatively rapid social degeneration. European goods were made available to Aboriginals, forcing changes in tribal relations and hunting patterns. Though most trade was arms and ammunitions, Hudson Bay Company records also show a growing desire for cloth, iron and hatchets. The existence of trading posts led the bands to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle, both to control the trade and gain employment. ... Because the fur trade now dominated, hunts were shorter, but more deadly, which affected the number of animals in populated areas. ... New foods introduced by the traders wreaked havoc on the aboriginals, leading to illness and also affecting fertility and life expectancy. ... ”
The adoption by the Aboriginals of European technology, especially guns, is always cited as an indicator of drastic social change. ... Though a law was passed in Paris in 1607 preventing the sale of firearms to Aboriginals, the English had no such regulation, and casualties were much higher. ... Though some tribes--including the Crows, the Chipewyans and various Pacific coast tribes--long abstained from liquor, many traders used it to lure Aboriginals from previous loyalties.
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