Fur trade
The Western Metis are occasionally called the backbone of the fur trade, due to their vast contribution in the fur exchange between the Europeans and Aborigines in the 19th century. To begin, the Metis were a combination of unalike backgrounds, causing them to be able to speak both of the languages of the Natives and the Europeans. Further, the Metis acted as translators to either sides of the trade, which aided in the establishment of powerful trading connections. Also, the Metis took it upon themselves to help even further in the trade industry by purchasing furs from the Aborigines then selling them to fur trading companies. Moreover, the Metis also assisted in creating and preparing items of trade such as pemmican, processing hides and making clothing and footwear. In conclusion, the Western Metis truly impacted Canadian history because of their benefaction in the fur trade in the 19th century.
A trading post with furs in West Canada.