Many Tender Ties: Chapters 2&3

In both of these chapters much of what was discussed was the importance of the Native American women with in the Hudson Bay Company. These females were key elements to the success of the Hudson Bay Company. With out these native women the success of the Hudson Bay Company would have never have happened. One way in which the Hudson Bay Company gained success was through the native woman. This happend through intermarriage between the white trader and the native female. By this happening marriages played a huge role in which it promoted good relations between the tribes and the traders. These unions were very useful for the traders which played a significant role in the traders relations in which they were able to expand their economic empire. These marriages known as the marriages a la facon du pays ended up being very successful with in both cultures and were mostly followed by those customs of the natives. This ended up providing the growth of the fur-trade society. The Indian women made a very huge beneficial impact in the trade itself which led to the white success.

In the second chapter we were able to see in what ways these female Indians were beneficial to the fur trade society. All of their contributions were key factors into the success of the fur trade industry. With out the help and guidance of these females the trade industry would have been a total disaster and these white traders knew they would not be able to make it with out them. These Indian women performed a huge range of domestic jobs and they were what they called them "economic necessity." They were expected to gather foods, rice, make moccassins, store meats, sow, fish, make sugar, make canoes, clothing and the list goes on and on. They were also important as guides because they knew the lands and were also symbolized as peace makers while encountering other tribes. In the end with out the assistance of these female Indians the fur-trade economy itself wouldn't have been successful at all. These females were needed in order for the white man to gain success, yet today we do not recognize that. We don't notice much of what these females did which should have been greatly appreciated by the traders.