1640-1840: 2nd wave
Relationships
Stewards of the Land
When settlers and fur traders began to arrive on the Prairies, First Nations peoples were the caretakers of the land. The First Nations people respected the land very much and lived in careful balance with the land. They relied on the land and animals for hunting, trapping, and fishing.
Sharing Knowledge
The fur trade provided the first contact between European and First Nations people in the West. The relationship between the First Nations people and the fur traders was very important. First Nations people provided very important knowledge about finding food, weather patterns, and water locations. They also shared information about the healing properties of local plants, roots, and herbs.
The First Nations people shared knowledge with the settlers.
The settlers and fur traders depended on First Nations people to act as their guides, to bring them furs and food, and to offer them information about travel routes. All of this information was essential to the fur traders surviving on the Prairies.