2 Indian games, before casinos

2 Indian games, before casinos

Though I’m not much of a betting person, I’ve put money into raffles, Superbowl boards, pay stub poker pots and lottery tickets — and won! Most of us enjoy taking a chance on occasion. While casinos are a relatively new phenomena in the Native American...
A short history of the fur trade era

A short history of the fur trade era

I get confused as to the timeline of events in New France–when were the first explorers out there, the major wars, the big fur companies. (Maybe I was sick that day in school. Maybe you were too?) So I decided I needed a short “cheat sheet” to refer...
Winter games for voyageurs

Winter games for voyageurs

Did voyageurs ever have fun? What did they during the winter? (Erin, 11, Taylor, 9) Usually winterers were busy with their Native American customers, because hunters visited fur posts during the autumn to start trading. But then came winter, when it was harder to...
The fur trade in 17 ‘P’ words

The fur trade in 17 ‘P’ words

Get your stopwatch — how many ‘P” words that describe the fur trade can you name quickly? Kudos if you get more than 5 and a gold star if you think of 10. Well, actually there’s more than 17. Then compare your tally to this unofficial list....
Best canoe paddles for 1785

Best canoe paddles for 1785

You thought I made a mistake on the date? Nope, I was curious — what kind of paddles did the fur trade brigades prefer? Surprise! They aren’t paddles like we see nowadays. Read more to discover the characteristics of the best paddles from an earlier century! For...

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