Women and the Fur Trade

An American Indian women sowing in front of a teepee

FOLA Archives

Would you believe Native American women played a central role in trade with European and American traders? Women prepared pelts and hides for trade. They also bartered for trade goods to provide for their families. Metal needles, fabrics, pots, and adornments all became popular trade items. These new tools and materials contributed to changing cultural traditions. For example, metal awls and needles replaced bone tools, making sewing hide tepees, shoes, and bags easier. Cloth replaced hides for making clothing. Hawk bells, glass beads, and metal tinklers joined elk teeth and shells as adornment on clothing and bags. For an example, see the strike-a-light bag displayed in the exhibit case.

As the fur trade continued, Native American women married European and American traders. In these cross-cultural marriages, women helped to create profitable relationships. Some even served as intermediaries between their families and the traders. Often, these relationships resulted in mixed-descent children, also known as Métis. The Metis lived between their parents’ cultures. Many men became hunters for the fur traders or scouts and interpreters for the military, like Fort Laramie-born William Garnett. The fur trade eventually slowed, and the reservation system started. As more Americans moved West, it became harder for the Métis to live between cultures. To survive the changing times, Métis often had to make a choice to live as Native Americans or adopt American culture.