by Nikki Rajala | May 12, 2025 | Featured
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...
by Nikki Rajala | Mar 30, 2025 | Voyageur
The fur trade was the lifeblood of the North American economy in the 17th and 18th centuries. What did Indigenous communities, particularly the Ojibwe, want in exchange for their highly prized beaver pelts? What’s your guess? Guns (the high-ticket item) and...
by Nikki Rajala | Mar 2, 2025 | Voyageur
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...
by Nikki Rajala | Dec 5, 2024 | Voyageur
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...
by Nikki Rajala | Sep 2, 2024 | Voyageur
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...
