Indians in the Fur Trade: Their Role As Trappers, Hunters, & Middle Man in the Lands Southwest of Hudson Bay, 1660-1860

by Arthur J. Ray

Book by Ray, Arthur J.

Genres: History, Native American, Nonfiction

249 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 1974

About the author

Arthur J. Ray is Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at the University of British Columbia.

Reviews

[Eric]

Interesting, but a bit of a tough slog. The research on this is impeccable, as a doctorate thesis should be, which is the origin of this book, but the writing style obviously was not adapted to the general reader. Hence one wades through a lot of repetition when comparing the Cree, Assiniboine or Ojibway methods of dealing with issues related to extracting a living out of the forest, grassland, or parkland areas of Saskatchewan vs. Manitoba. The excerpts of praise on the back cover are also a bit of a warning; "One of the most significant contributions this book makes to the literature of the fur trade is a clear & factual delineation of the relationship between the traders and the Indians" from the reviewer of the not quite best selling periodical, "Plains Anthropologist". But I did learn a lot, which was my intent when I added this book to TBR pile, a number of years back. And I'm glad I finally got through it.

[Paul D]

Good historical coverage that broadened my understanding of the roles played by Hudsons Bay and other traders. A good introduction into early colonial exploitation and mercantile economic models.