History Unit 1: New France and

British North America,

1713-1800
Day 1
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities
Personal Wants and Needs for Survival.
● What items do you need in your life for survival?
Hint: Be specific. What do these items look like? Why are they so important?
● What items do you need in your life to thrive in modern day society?
● What items do you enjoy having in your life, but could survive without?
Hint: Think about recreational and leisure activities or items (wants).

Needs Wants
Review Terminology
 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities
In this task, you will be exploring the daily life of three Indigenous communities in Canada between
1713 and 1800. As Indigenous communities are very diverse, each nation, community, settlement area,
and territory had their own ways of ensuring the land and the people were cared for based on their
specific traditions, teachings, and geography.

Explore each of the following Indigenous communities: the Haudenosaunee, Métis, and Inuit.

As you are exploring, consider the following about each community:

● What style of housing did the Indigenous community have? What was it made from?
● What were the roles and responsibilities of the elders, men, women, and children?
● What beliefs or ceremonies did that community take part in?
● What leisure activities did that community take part in?
● Was there anything else you found interesting?
The Haudenosaunee
Haudenosaunee means "people of the Longhouse." Today, the Haudenosaunee live on
well-populated reserves and off-reserve communities in Canada and the United States. This article
references their way of life between 1713 and 1800.

The Haudenosaunee shared their culture and learned their values, laws, and acceptable
behaviours through storytelling. They are known for their agricultural skills and traditional Clan
System.

The Haudenosaunee Clan is matrilineal and is represented by different birds and animals that
are divided into three elements: land (bear, wolf, deer), water (turtle, eel, beaver) and air (snipe, hawk,
heron). The Clan Mother was responsible for making all the decisions that would impact the clan,
ensuring all members had their needs met and were taken care of. Many Haudenosaunee
communities still follow traditional Clan Systems that have been passed down through their mothers.

Haudenosaunee families lived together in a single longhouse within a village of longhouses

year-round. Fields were grouped near longhouses and ranged from ten to hundreds of kilometers
depending on the size of the community. Longhouses were built from saplings, thick bark from elm
trees, and animal hide for door coverings. They were separated into compartments with a bed for
each family, a sitting area, and a shared fire.
The Haudenosaunee
Each member of the Haudenosaunee family held different roles and responsibilities.

Men were often in charge of hunting and trapping expeditions. They typically hunted for deer, bear, beaver, and
fish. They also cleared and prepared fields for farming. Women generally planted and tended to crops. They also
searched for and collected berries and foods that could be picked in the forest, such as mushrooms, roots, and nuts.
Children helped tend to the crops and guarded fields and early sprouts from pests. Elders were well-respected wisdom
keepers who taught children traditions and helped to raise them.

The Haudenosaunee made their clothing from natural surroundings (e.g., woodland animals) and added beads,
feathers, and porcupine quills that represented symbols of Clans, or as an expression of their creation story.

Throughout the year, the Haudenosaunee held 13 ceremonies that followed the seasonal changes in the year.
These ceremonies often included music and dance, and expressed thanks to the natural world, spirit world, and
creators. During their leisure time, families intertwined arts, sports (such as lacrosse), games, music, and dance into
their daily activities.
TASK 1: The Haudenosaunee
Choose at least one of the following questions to answer in a method of your choice:

● What is a traditional Clan system and how did the Haudenosaunee community follow it?
● What important role did the Elders play in the Haudenosaunee community?
● How were men, women, and children’s roles different in the Haudenosaunee community?
The Métis
The Métis are people of both First Nations and European
heritage. The Métis were first established in the Red River region
(present day Manitoba) and typically lived along major trading
routes and waterways across Canada. Today, the Métis live all
across Canada, with the majority located within the prairie
provinces: Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. This article
references their way of life between 1713 and 1800.

The Métis were spiritually influenced by both their

Indigenous heritage and their European heritage. Their household
often consisted of extended family and was part of a larger village.
The most typical style of home for the Métis was a log house or
cabin that was made from round logs with notched ends and flat
Métis chasing the Buffalo Herd, Paul
roofs. They used mud and hay as insulation. When on buffalo
Kane (1846)
hunts or trading expeditions, the Métis camped in tipis or canvas
tents that were brought over by Europeans.
The Métis
Each member of the Métis household had different rights and responsibilities. Prior to the fur trade, each
person’s role, regardless of gender, was meant to change to meet the community’s needs. Both men and women
taught the children the skills they needed to survive. The men and their older sons were hunters, traders, and farmers.
The buffalo hunt was a big part of their lifestyle, so they were often gone for long periods of time hunting buffalo. They
also hunted moose, elk, deer, wild birds, and trapped fish. While the men were hunting, the women often took care of
the children, prepared food, made and mended clothing and snowshoes, and gathered plant foods and medicines. The
women provided land knowledge and survival skills to the men. They were skilled in surviving Canadian winters and
provided medicine, food, and interpretation to fur traders. The children were seen as gifts from the creator that were to
be cherished. At a young age, children had a lot of chores and responsibilities around the house. For example, they
gathered berries and caught fish. Grandparents were respected for their wisdom and experience and handed down
Métis culture to the children.

When they were not working, Métis communities took part in music and dance at community events, art,
beadwork, and embroidery. Their clothing was inspired by French-Canadian fur traders and was often made from
animal skins and hides.
TASK 2: The Métis
Choose at least one of the following questions to answer in a method of your choice:

● What are the differences between the role of a man and woman in a Métis community?
● Do you notice any similarities to your own life?
History Unit 1: New France and
British North America,
1713-1800
Day 2
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities
The
Inuit
The Inuit are Indigenous peoples who live in the Northern Regions of Canada. The Inuit homeland
is known as Inuit Nunangat, which refers to land, water, and ice contained in the Arctic Region. This
article references their way of life between 1713 and 1800.

In the Arctic there are only two seasons – winter and summer. The winters are very long, cold, and
dark. The average temperature in the winter is -34 degrees Celsius. The summers are very short,
temperatures hover around zero degrees, and the sun never sets. Due to the extreme weather
conditions in the Arctic, there are not many trees or suitable farmland. Most Inuit people were nomadic
hunter and gathers, which meant that they had to keep moving to follow the herds of animals for food.
The Inuit
The Inuit chose to live in small, family-based groups rather than large, permanent settlements. Families who got
along well together would live in camps near one another, and at times, build larger dwellings so that the families could
live together. The Inuit people built different homes to accommodate the winter and summer climate of the Arctic. In the
winter, the Inuit built and lived in igloos that are made from frozen snow. In the summer, they built homes out of animal
bones and hide. These homes were easy to rebuild in different locations as they moved for hunting and gathering. As
hunters and gathers, they lived mainly on meat, such as caribou, and whale. In the summer, they would dry out meats
and preserve them for the winter months. They were also able to gather some berries, seaweed, and eggs for food.

Inuit society was egalitarian. Instead of there being one person to make decisions, Inuit adults would discuss
problems and solutions and then come to decisions through consensus. Inuit communities generally lived with one family
in each shelter, which included parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and children. Men spent the majority of their days
hunting, gathering, and fishing. Women did domestic work, such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, and raising children.
Children stayed home and helped with common chores, played outside, and learned from those around them. Typically,
children would travel to diverse families and learn through the oral tradition of stories about their culture and traditions.
The Inuit
The Inuit people believed all things had a spirit.
A spirit could be found in both living and non-living
things, such as people, animals, inanimate objects,
and forces of nature.

They believed when a spirit died, it would

continue living in another spirit. For example,
children were often named after a deceased relative
or community member to ensure the spirit and name
could keep living. The Inuit used a Shaman or
‘Angakos’ to communicate with the spirit world.
TASK 1: The Inuit
Choose at least one of the following questions to answer in a method of your choice:

● Why did the Inuit people in the Arctic follow a nomadic way of life?
● What do you think is one advantage and disadvantage of an egalitarian society?
TASK 2:
Match!
Move the
Arrows
TASK 3: Compare
Choose one of the Indigenous communities that you explored in Task One of the Action section (the
Haudenosaunee, Métis, or Inuit), and compare their daily life to the life of a colonizer in New France.

Record your ideas in the following Venn Diagram or another method of your choice. In the Venn Diagram,
anything that matches with both communities would go in the middle of the diagram. Think about:

● What style of housing did the community have? What was it made from?
● What were the roles and responsibilities of the elders, the men, the women, and the children?
● What beliefs or ceremonies did that community take part in?
● What leisure activities did that community take part in?
● Was there anything else you found interesting?

Complete the Venn Diagram in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document.
TASK 3: Compare
←- Move this check mark.
History Unit 1: New France and
British North America,
1713-1800
Day 3 Colonization
Colonization
In this learning activity, you will explore the significant events that led to the colonization of “New
France” in Canada, including the interactions between European colonizers and First Nations
communities.

During this time period, Canada was referred to as British North America.

Definition of Colonization: the process in which a foreign power invades and dominates a
territory of land inhabited by Indigenous peoples by establishing a colony or imposing its own
social, cultural, religious, economic, and political systems and values. A colonized region today
is called a colony.
Brainstorm
What conditions might cause someone to relocate, or move, cities, towns, provinces, or countries?

Explore the following images to prompt your thinking.

Brainstorm
What conditions might cause someone to relocate cities, towns, provinces, or countries?

Explore the following images to prompt your thinking.

Brainstorm
What conditions might cause someone to relocate cities, towns, provinces, or countries?

Explore the following images to prompt your thinking.

Settlement and government
Between 1500 and 1700, the living conditions in Europe were rapidly declining. Land was becoming
scarce because of the population growth and many people were being forced off their lands with high
taxes. Strict policies created a gap between the rich and the poor and many people could not afford to buy
land in Europe. These conditions, as well as the notion of white supremacy, allowed Europeans to seize
and colonize land illegally. This land had previously been illegally seized by John Cabot and Jacques
Cartier in Canada.

White supremacy: the belief that white people are a superior race and should therefore
dominate society.
Brainstorm
What conditions might cause someone to relocate cities, towns, provinces, or countries?

Explore the following images to prompt your thinking.

Italian Explorer John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto,
c.1450–c.1499) Reaches Labrador in Canada, 1497
 In 1608, Samuel de Champlain arrived in current day Quebec City, the place
where the river narrowed, and established a trading post and colonized a new
French settlement, that he called “New France.” Explorers were interested in the
land for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, they were interested because the land was rich in natural resources
that were depleting (disappearing) in Europe. For colonizers, this land was theirs to
colonize, even though Indigenous communities had been living there for centuries.
The colonizer world view valued competition, individualism, and supremacy,
regardless of how this impacted Indigenous communities.
Portrait of Jacques Cartier (1491-1557), French Explorer
 Secondly, they wanted to establish trading with Indigenous communities,
specifically gaining fur for clothing that could be made in Europe. Colonizers
wanted to control the trade.

Lastly, they wanted to convert the religion of Indigenous communities to

Christianity. Colonizers wanted to impose their own cultural values, religions,
and laws, and make policies that did not favour Indigenous communities.

Samuel de Champlain initially created friendly alliances with many

Indigenous communities living in the area, who helped him to navigate the
territory.
Portrait of French Explorer Samuel de Champlain
Reflection
What conflict and challenges do you think could arise with two different communities living on
the same land?

Hint: Consider the fact that Indigenous peoples had lived on that land for years and suddenly
colonizers were moving in.
History Unit 1: New France and
British North America,
1713-1800
Day 4 Colonization
 In New France, the majority of the colonizers lived in rural areas governed by a seigneurial system. This
was a way to divide land into plots that ran along waterways, such as the St. Lawrence River. Each plot of land
was owned by a seigneur, who would offer sections to families known as habitants (more colonizers).

A Seigneur
 Both the seigneur and habitant (also known as the tenant) had responsibilities to each other. The habitant
was required to pay rent and taxes for the land and also had to give a portion of his grain harvest to the seigneur.
The seigneur was required to build and maintain a mill for grinding the grain and was responsible for settling
disputes when they arose. This system was created to help build up the economy of communities. However, it
created a large gap between the rich (seigneurs) and the poor (habitants).
In New France, the colonizers used a hierarchy of government and each person had their own duties and
responsibilities.

Definition of a hierarchy: A system where people are ranked one above the other according to status.
 The governor was responsible to the King and took advice from a council of people, such as the Intendant,
Bishop, Seigneurs and Clergy members. The First Intendant ran day-to-day affairs of the colony. The First
Intendant of New France was Jean Talon. The Bishop was responsible for religious rules and life of the colony.
High Ranking Seigneurs were landowners and Clergy members were priests. Together, all these people helped to
run and maintain the colony of New France.

Hierarchy: A system
where people are ranked one
above the other according to
status.
Expand your learning
It is important to remember that this is not
the government system that Indigenous
communities used during this time period. Even
though colonizers were living on their land,
Indigenous communities had their own
government system and structure. Choose an
Indigenous community (i.e. Woodlands First
Nations, Iroquoian First Nations, Plains First
Nations, Plateau First Nations, Pacific Coast First
Nations) and research how they governed their
community in the 1700s.
TASK 1: Compare and Contrast
Compare the seigneurial system and government of New France with the present-day
government structure of your hometown. Consider land ownership and government. How are they similar
and different now?
Think about who makes the decisions, how the land is owned/rented, how people obtain
power, what voice the general public has, etc.

New France Today in Canada

TASK 2:
Match!
Move the Arrows
History Unit 1: New France and
British North America,
1713-1800
Day 5 Colonization
First Nations and New France interactions
The French colonizers believed that First Nations peoples did not own the land that they lived
on, and therefore believed they had the right to claim the land as their own. As New France began
to expand in population, so did their land claims, and their territory began to creep up onto First
Nations communities. In the beginning, the French colonizers recognized the First Nations people
and their entitlement to their land. The French colonizers developed an alliance with the First
Nations groups and recognized their right to continue to govern their own land and practice their
own customs.

However, French colonizers believed they were superior to Indigenous peoples, and
therefore they wanted control. French objectives had been to Christianize Indigenous peoples in
order to attain their utopian ideal of “one people.” The Church tried to achieve this objective
through a variety of methods, beginning with trying to take land away from Indigenous peoples.
The next map is of this
area that is circled.
 Originally, the French allied with First Nations communities north of the St. Lawrence
Rivers (the Huron-Wendat, Algonquin, Odawa, and Montagnais) and in Acadia (the Mi’kmaq
and Maliseet) to establish Indigenous trading routes focused on beaver pelts. This trade ignited
new European explorations throughout the Great Lakes.

First Nations quickly adapted to this new way of living, as the Europeans brought them
goods such as metal, pots and pans, beads, and weapons for fur. This created competition
between First Nations communities, such as the Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat, which
resulted in violence and war. Although New France began with positive relationships with the
First Nations people, this was not always true. As mentioned previously, French colonizers
believed they were superior. For example, French colonizers were enslavers of people with
African heritage and Indigenous heritage because of this idea that they were superior.
 Power struggles between the French and the British transformed relationships
with First Nations people, as they were now valued as vital military alliances in
many conflicts. As colonizers demanded more property, they began to pressure
the government for lands that were held by First Nations communities.

The colonizers were beginning to consider First Nations people as impeding

their growth and economic development. By the 1830s, more and more lands were
surrendered for settlement. First Nations lost more hunting and fishing lands and
were often forced to relocate.
TASK 1: Reflection
Do you think the relationship between the First Nations and French colonizers was a positive relationship?
Why or why not? Use evidence from what you have just explored to support your answer.
Think about how their relationship started and how it changed over time. Consider the advantages
and disadvantages that each group had and the idea of white supremacy amongst French colonizers.
TASK 2: The Fur Trade
As mentioned previously, the fur trade played a significant role in European and First Nations interactions.

Examine the following photo of the Hudson’s Bay Company Trading Post.

What do you wonder?

What do you notice?

Fur Trade Video
 Samuel de Champlain’s goal was to make Quebec the centre of a powerful French colony and he
promoted its commercial, industrial, and agricultural opportunities to the government in France. The
colonization of New France was heavily driven by the demand for beaver pelts, which were highly valued
as raw material for hat-making in Europe. The beaver hat was a fashion essential for the well-to-do and
widely used in the military.
TASK 3: The Fur Trade
Brainstorm what the pros and cons might have been of having a fur trade.

Think about who would benefit from the fur trade.

Benefits of the Fur Trade Drawbacks of the Fur Trade