A voyageur’s sash: The original utility belt

A voyageur’s sash: The original utility belt

French-Canadian voyageurs had one signature piece of clothing — their colorful wide woven sash. Voyageurs exuded joy and verve. But, working on the lowest rung of workers in the fur trade hierarchy, they had few resources to express that lively style. Their shirts and...
Lopsticks help find the way in uncharted waters

Lopsticks help find the way in uncharted waters

Near the end of “Uncharted Waters” (Book 3), André and his crew find themselves in a vast water meadow and can’t orient themselves. He despairs that they’ll never find Danny’s father in this wilderness. To pinpoint their location, André’s...
Gift-giving greased the wheels in the fur trade

Gift-giving greased the wheels in the fur trade

With snow flurries teasing us, and Christmas carols playing, and wreaths and decorations everywhere, I wonder about the voyageurs during this season. Mostly, they celebrated New Year’s with a dram or two, occasionally with a rival post (as I wrote about in a...
And heeeere’s Greg Ingram, fur trade re-enactor!

And heeeere’s Greg Ingram, fur trade re-enactor!

I meet the most interesting people whose passion is the fur trade. Greg Ingram is one, a member of the Fur Traders and Explorers, centered around Alberta, Canada. As a re-enactor, Greg has developed several first-person characters named “Gregoire” — from voyageur to...

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