The History of the Metis :: World History

The History of the Metis The Metis were partly french and partly indian. Their leader was cal conductLouis riel. Following the Union of the Hudsons Bay social club and the northwestern sandwichWest Company in 1821, trading had been reorganized in align to reduceexpenses. Since there was no longer competition in the skin trade, it wasunnecessary to have twain or more posts serving a single trading district. For this reason, near posts had been closed and the number of brigadesreduced. This reorganization had led to some unemployment amoung Metis whofor years had been working in the fur trade. The Hudson Bay Company hadattempted to assist these these men by encouraging them to engage infarming in what is now South Manitoba. A few families receive to agriculture,but most of the metis found it difficult. To them, the excitement and theadventure of the buffalo take to the woods held more appeal than farming. Hundreds ofMetis were content to earn a living by hunting buffalo , making pemmican orfinding employment as freight drivers. After a while Canada bought Rupertsland from Hudson Bay Company. When theMetis heard this they were alarmed. They feared their religion,theirlanguage, their lands and their old, impeccant federal agency of* life. They had known forsome time that Canada was busy constructing a colonists bridle-path from LakeSuperior to the Red River. The situation became tense surveyors were sentinto the flow of settlers, and it was considered a wise move to have thesurveying well under way before settlement began in earnest. It was decidedto use a clay or land survey similar to that used in the western part ofthe United States. Townships were to be divided into thirty-six sections,each containing iodin square mile or 640 acres. The sections were then to bedivided into, the quarter-section was conceit to be enough land for eachfamily settling in the pairing West. (An interesting aspect of the surveysystem was the plan of the sett ing asside two sections in each township forthe future support of education. The idea to care these sections at a laterdate and use the money for the facial expression of schools.) When th surveybegan, friction occured in those areas where the french specking Metis hadsettled along the river, occupying long narrow strips in the manner commonin new France. Attempts were made by the surveyors to avoid disturbing thepattern, but in some cases the survey lines crossed the narrow holdings,