chapter__4_and_5_study_guide.docx | |
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A Coin Worth One Made Beaver |
The bison hunt usually took place in the summer and early autumn. Bison provided meat and hides. Most of the meat was dried to make pemmican, while the hides were tanned and made into buffalo robes. Robes and pemmican were sold to the North West Company. Pemmican was high in calories and protein, and could be stored in leather bags for years at a time. It was also portable, much like protein pars available today. the pemmican trade was vital to both the Métis and the NWC, as it provided income for the Métis and an important source of food for the long voyages of the NWC traders.
The bison hunt was an important event that involved the entire community. Métis women, men, and children set off across the Prairie in search of bison. Women and children drove the Red River carts, pulled by horses and oxen and used to transport the meat. Hunters rode buffalo runners - horses with speed and agility specially trained for the hunts. The Métis hunters and their buffalo runners were so well practised that they acted together. Hunters directed the horses using their knees, which kept their hands free to use their rifles. The hunt itself was extremely dangerous - guns could misfire, horses could trip and fall, and the bison could be aggressive. Death and serious injury were common. Once enough bison had been killed, everyone helped butcher the meat. the entire hunting party then returned to the Red River Valley and held a well-earned celebration. During the hunt, the Métis sometimes came into conflict with the First Nations who also hunted bison, such as the Blackfoot and the Lakota. In 1851, 64 Métis bison hunters were overtaken by a group of about 2000 Lakota. The Métis circled their carts in a defensive formation, dug rifle pits, and held off charge after charge in a three-day battle. In the end, the Lakota retreated, vowing never to attack "the wagonmen" again. The bison hunt did more for the Métis than supply meat and clothing; it fostered a strong sense of community, pride, and discipline. |
Red River CartThe Laws of the Bison HuntThe Métis developed rules for the bison hunt. These rules were so strictly enforced that a hunt could be seen as a military expedition. the Captain of the Hunt, who was elected by the hunters before the party left Red River, had absolute authority during the hunt.
The Laws of the Hunt
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Thinking Questions:
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Thinking Questions:Consider the differences between the perspectives of Native bison hunters and those of the European settlers as represented by Frank H. Mayer.
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