Natives Role During the Fur Trade

The Natives introduced trade routes and taught the French how to conquer rivers and live off the land. The French the French depended on the Natives means of transportation as canoes were foreign to them. Deny's mentioned " Boats cannot go up this river higher than eighteen to twenty leagues because of the falls and of the rocks which are scattered there, thus compelling a resort to canoes." The natives also taught the French their methods of transportation during the snowy winter. The toboggan and the sledge replaced the canoe and the French copied the Natives snowshoes in order to prevent them from sinking into the snow. Yet as Le Clerq mentions, " Even with adequate equipment the French generally experienced difficulty in forest travel when unaccompanied by the Indian guides." Thus proving that the natives were essential to the French fur traders, as they could not have made their way through the bush without them. …