Indians in the Fur Trade: Their Roles as Trappers, Hunters, and Middlemen in the Lands Southwest of Hudson Bay, 1660-1870 [Paperback]

Arthur Ray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 1998

First published in 1974, this best-selling book was lauded by Choice as 'an important, ground-breaking study of the Assiniboine and western Cree Indians who inhabited southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan' and 'essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the Canadian west before 1870.'

Indians in the Fur Trade makes extensive use of previously unpublished Hudson's Bay Company archival materials and other available data to reconstruct the cultural geography of the West at the time of early contact, illustrating many of the rapid cultural transformations with maps and diagrams. Now with a new introduction and an update on sources, it will continue to be of great use to students and scholars of Native and Canadian history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Ray handles his material with clarity and conciseness, providing a significant study not only of the fur trade, but of the history of cultural changes brought about by the extension of white influence over a red continent.'--Gary C. Stein "American Indian Quarterly "

Review

'A model study of the fur trade in all its economic aspects. ... Illuminating inferences from scattered statements in primary sources demonstrate the author's mastery of his subject.'

(Harvey L. Carter American Historical Review )

'Ray's study underscores the essential insights which multi-disciplinary approaches can bring to fur trade history.'

(Sylvia Van Kirk Canadian Historical Review )

'Ray handles his material with clarity and conciseness, providing a significant study not only of the fur trade, but of the history of cultural changes brought about by the extension of white influence over a red continent.'

(Gary C. Stein American Indian Quarterly )

'An important, ground-breaking study of the Assiniboine and Western Cree Indians ... essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the Canadian West before 1870.'

(Choice )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division; Revised edition (March 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802079806
• ISBN-13: 978-0802079800
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,616,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indians and the Hudson Bay Company, January 4, 2007

By 

Smallchief - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Indians in the Fur Trade: Their Roles as Trappers, Hunters, and Middlemen in the Lands Southwest of Hudson Bay, 1660-1870 (Paperback)

There are probably only about three people in the world interested in this subject: you, me, and the author. That being said this is a jewel of a book in the genre of academic histories. Not the least of its virtues is that the author has included the astonishing total of 46 maps and charts to help the reader along. Given the usual sparse and inadequate maps of low-budget academic books this is much-appreciated.

The focus of the book is the trade relations between the Cree and Assiniboine Indians of Manitoba and Saskatchewan with French and English traders. In describing the trade the author drops in numerous pearls of wisdom about wildlife and ecology of the Canadian plains, Indian hunting strategies, inter-tribal relations, epidemics, and even details about the trade items most popular with the Indians and their prices in beaver pelts. One of the most interesting sections of the book concerns the role of firearms versus bows and arrows in Indian hunting and warfare. Another little gem concerns the Indian dislike of eating "red deer" meat. It took me a while to figure out that the Canadian author was talking about what we would call "elk" in the US.

This is a sound and scholarly history that delves deeply into the files of the Hudson Bay Company and other trading companies to paint what seems to be an authentic picture of Indian life on the Canadian plains in the early days of White/Indian contact. Highly recommended!

Smallchief