by Nikki Rajala | Apr 16, 2015 | Voyageur
How did fur traders know what trade goods to bring to Native Americans? What trade goods did they want the most? Why? What did things cost? (Zak, age 14) Thelma Boeder, a re-enactor with La Compagnie des Hivernants de la Riviere St. Pierre, has thought about this. At...
by Nikki Rajala | Feb 28, 2015 | Voyageur
Did voyageurs use the same campsites each night they were traveling? Or did they find new ones all the time? (Cliff) It was the easiest for voyageurs to stay at a site they knew, and could choose campsites depending on where along the route they were. Because they...
by Nikki Rajala | Jan 18, 2015 | Voyageur
How much was a beaver fur worth? What could Native Americans when they traded for their furs? What did they want most? What was worth the most? (Tyler, age 14) To answer these questions, look on the Resources page for “Value of One Beaver.” I’ve posted a list of some...
by Nikki Rajala | Dec 7, 2014 | Voyageur
Did you find out how much a French livre is worth? How much money did voyageurs earn? Is that the kind of money voyageurs got paid with? (Peyton, age 11) This answer comes from Dave Dittmer, of Cousin Dave Silversmith. In addition to creating beautiful silver work, he...
by Nikki Rajala | Oct 25, 2014 | Voyageur
What is it like to “become” a voyageur or another character at Fort William Historical Park? Is it fun or hard to do? (Mikaela, 14) Jenni Grandfield, who works at Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay, Ontario, answered the question for me: I’m studying...