Meeting of CulturesFirst Contact

European Contact with Native Peoples of North America

When was the First Contact?

When was the earliest known contact between the Amerindians and the Europeans? Some people consider the Vikings (Norse people)

as “Europeans”. If we do, then the first contact was in the 11th Century.

http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10121 If we are not classifying the Norse as Europeans,

then first contact occurred in the 1500s (16th Century).

Natives of Canada

• There were many similarities between the Mi’kmaq of the Atlantic coast and other Native Groups in Canada. – They had similar relationships and beliefs with

nature. – Common social organization

European Countries

• Portugal, Spain, England and France were all sending people to explore the New World – North America – by the 1500s (16th Century).

The “Age of Discovery”

• Also known as the ‘Age of Exploration.’• Between the 15th and 17th Century • Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world. • Established direct contacts with Africa, North and South

America, Asia and Oceania. • Mapping of world.• Europeans were on the search for rich resources such as

gold, spices and silver. • Explorers had the responsibility of finding new lands with

the hopes of claiming new territory for their King. More land = more power.

THE “Big Race”

• The race was on between these key European countries.

• By the end of the 1400s (15th Century) Portugal had explored and set up permanent settlements in many coastal areas of Africa.

• By 1492, these countries were racing to find the route to Asia! Spain funded Christopher Columbus’ sail across the Atlantic Ocean to find Asia…he found the Americas instead!

The Age of Discovery…

• By 1495, France and England entered the race for the Americas after learning about discoveries and possible wealth! – England sent John Cabot on his way to North

America in 1497.– WHAT DID HE FIND???

Crazy for Cod

• In 1497, John Cabot sends word to King Henry VII of England about the wealth of cod off the Atlantic Coast of North America.

• Early 1500s, Europeans were very interested in cod and whales. http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10122

And then there was France…

– France sent an Italian named Giovanni da Verrazano to explore the Atlantic Coast of North America. He mapped from South Caroline to Newfoundland.

– From 1534- 1536, Jacque Cartier of France accompanied Verrazano to Nova Scotia. Cartier was the first European to travel inland in North America and first to meet members of the Mikmaq and Maliseet tribes.

So…

• Christopher Columbus of Spain may have been the first to discover the Americas in 1492, but it was Jacque Cartier of France who made the first trek inland and make contact with the aboriginals.

• Jacque Cartier named the area “Canada” from a word used by the First Nations – “Kanata” meaning ‘settlement’, ‘village’ or ‘land’ in 1535.

• http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10123

The Desire for Fur…

• Jacque Cartier settled in Stadacona Village for the winter of 1535 and learned from the First Nations how to survive such cold winters. He saw the versatility in the animal furs used for clothing. He saw the wealth that his country could gain from such items too!

Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site of Canada

• The place where Jacques Cartier and his shipmates wintered in 1535-1536.

• The Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site recalls the meeting of Iroquoian and European cultures. It links two important events in our history: Jacques Cartier's first winter in Canada and the establishment of the Jesuits.

• http://www.pc.gc.ca/apprendre-learn/prof/itm2-crp-trc/htm/nbrebeuf_e.asp

Cartier wintered in Stadacona Village,

now known as Quebec City.

Cartier’s Exploration

Cartier left his imprint…

• During the winter at Stadacona Village, many of his mates became sick with scurvy. Many died, and it also led to many Stadaconans becoming ill.

• When Cartier left to return to England he took the Chief of Stadacona, Donnacana, his two sons, and seven others back with him to France. The Stadacona’s were very angry and hostile with him.

1570 – A man named Ortelius created 53 maps of the world from many of the Explorers findings. This is one of his maps . What continent has yet to be discovered? What else canwe learn from this map?

Official Trading Begins…

• By the beginning of the 17th Century (1600s) between 12,000 -20,000 beaver pelts were traded each year along the St. Lawrence River between the French and the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet (question 9 answer) and Iroquoian groups.

• Samuel Champlain played a key role in establishing professional trading.

Samuel Champlain

• In 1608, Samuel Champlain of France set up the first official Trading Post on the site of present-day Quebec City.

• It became the Trading Post Center and the French expanded their trading activities along the St. Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes.

• In summer 1609, Champlain worked hard to establish a more positive relationship with local native tribes.

• By 1610, Jesse Fleche – Roman Catholic Priest of France baptized Chief Membertou of the Mi’kmaq tribe. (This occurred at Port Royal a new settlement of Champlain’s.) The baptism was one of many gestures made between local native tribes and the French to help solidify relationships.

At the time of Champlain…

Champlain’s trading post was in Algonquin territory. The St. Lawrence River made it easy to transport goods in and out of “New France.”

Champlain (the French) not only interacted with the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet but also the Iroquois to the south of the river and Montagnais to the west of the river.

The Barter System

• The Barter System is a way of trading goods where one item is traded for another. This was the method used between the Europeans and Native Groups.

• WHY? The Native groups did not used currency, therefore a barter system had to be used to exchange goods. This benefited both sides, as they both got items they wanted!

• For example, the Native people traded furs for guns. Guns made the hunting of animals more efficient: they didn’t have to spend so much time tracking the animals, and could hunt and kill animals quickly.

Beaver Furs

• Europeans were very interested in Beaver Pelts (beaver furs/skins by the late 1500s/late 16th Century.

• Beaver hats were quite fashionable from the late 1500s to 1800s in Europe as they could be made in to many hat shapes.

• So much hunting of these animals led to them almost becoming extinct!

The Impacts of the Fur Trade on Native GroupsNegative Positive

-Europeans’ demand for furs caused competition and conflict to grow between native groups as they were fighting to claim hunting territories. Natives began to become hostile with each other, wars broke out.-The Europeans brought many diseases with them to the New World. Epidemics, widespread outbreak of diseases, killed 100,000s First Nations people because they did not have natural immunity!-40 to 80% decrease in native populations was seen post-contact.

-The First Nations traded furs for technologies that they did not have – iron tools and weaponry.

-Trading solidified the relationship with the French.

-Both the natives and the French learned adopted things from each others culture to make life easier.

The Impacts of the Fur Trade on Europeans

Negative Positive

- The fur trade was successful until the 1800s when fur-bearing animals became scarce and the desire for silk hats instead of fur hats became a greater demand in Europe.

-Europeans collected clothing that was more adapted to the North American climate including: moccasins and other fur clothing.-They used the birch bark canoe to travel the rivers, as well as snowshoes for winter travel. -Native groups taught them how to trap animals, fish and survive in the new environment. -Native groups showed them the land.-Introduced to new foods and medicines.

Comparing Way of LifeNative European

-Semi nomadic lifestyle (people travelled between two camps – a summer and a winter camp. Summer camps were by the coast, and winter camps were inland).-Native tribes lived WITH nature, easily adapted to change.-Native tribes had an organized government with chief(s). There was a hierarchy of leadership based on heredity.-Matriarchal society (female dominant)-Native groups hunted and gathered their food. -Land was shared among each other.-Resourceful and only hunted/gathered what they needed.

-Permanent settlers (Europeans picked a piece of land, built a home and lived there all year round).-Europeans were farmers, tradesman, stonemasons, locksmiths. -They grew their own food on the land.-Land was owned by the individual not shared.-Hierarchical society based on power, money, and heredity.-Patriarchal society (male dominant). -Strong Roman Catholic (French) or Protestant (British) faiths.