by Nikki Rajala | Mar 15, 2022 | Voyageur
Have you been stymied in trying to figure out correct terminology to refer to our Native American brothers and sisters? In trying to be more respectful, we may not know which words to use. Among those in common usage are: first American, Native American, American...
by Nikki Rajala | Jan 24, 2020 | Featured
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...
by Nikki Rajala | Apr 7, 2019 | Voyageur
Were girls ever voyageurs? Did girls go on the fur brigades? Amazingly, yes. If you figure in all the Native American women, there are countless thousands whose assistance was invaluable. If you’re talking European immigrants or Caucasians, a bare handful. To...
by Nikki Rajala | May 21, 2017 | Voyageur
Can people, like, see voyageurs still? Where would you go to learn how to do the work they did, like canoeing, or outdoor skills? Quinn, 11 Yup, there are lots of ways to see and learn how to be a voyageur. It depends on what you want to do, where you live and...
by Nikki Rajala | May 30, 2014 | Voyageur
What is a voyageur? (Avalyn, age 13) Think of the word “voyager” — a person taking a voyage or a trip. Voyageurs were canoemen who traveled about 1,200 miles, from near Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to Grand Portage (on the Minnesota side of Lake Superior) — and...