Chapters 8 & 9: West of Canada

1. Chapters 8 & 9: West of Canada Social Studies 7

2. Following Confederation • Following Confederation in 1867, the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia made up the newly formed Canada. The remainder of North America was divided into other British colonies:

4. Demographics (Population makeup) • "True" Metis: descendants of the first generation of children of European settlers/explorers and First Nations. • Cree and Anishinabe: Plains and woodlands First Nations groups. • Roman Catholic Missionaries: Expanded Westward into the plains to spread Christianity to the frontier settlements. • Canadiens: Lived in Francophone settlements in the North West. • HBC Employees: lived and worked in HBC-owned trading posts on the frontier • Approximately 4000 men and women of the above backgrounds lived between the Great Lakes region and the Rocky Mountains.

5. The Metis: Common Characterisitcs • Language: being raised by both European and First Nations parents meant many Metis were bilingual (knew two languages), and many were multilingual. Metis also created their own original language--Michif, a mixture of the French, Cree, Anishinabe, and English languages, which reflected their mixed heritage. • Lifestyle: many Metis lived in small communities and practiced traditional lifestyles, and had skills learned from both their First Nations and European background. • Religion & Beliefs: many Metis inherited their Fathers' religion (either Protestant or Catholic) and combined these beliefs with First Nations spiritual traditions. Although these beliefs were common among the Metis, many settlers and missionaries looked down on these religious practices.

6. Economy & Lifestyle • Seasonal lifestyles: many Metis practiced the traditional lifestyles led by their First Nations descendants (farming, hunting, migrating to follow food sources), but also took part in the developing, modern economy. They farmed and hunted more than they needed to survive, and traded the goods they produced with HBC traders. • Fur Trade: although the height of the fur trade had passed by the mid-1800s, many Metis still took part in the smaller-scale fur trade operations. They were independent hunters and traders, but also acted as HBC employees and interpreters between First Nations and English or French-speaking traders. • The Buffalo Hunt: as the Metis began to move west in greater numbers, they came to rely heavily on the buffalo like other plains First Nations. They used nearly every part of the buffalo, and would trade these goods to HBC traders. One of the most valuable buffalo-based goods was pemmican: a mixture of dried and shredded buffalo meat, animal fat, grain and berries. Pemmican was very nutritious and long-lasting, and the Metis traded it in large quantities with the HBC.