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The fur trade was not just an exchange of furs for trade goods it also included an exchange of cultures and technologies.

Traditionally First Nations communities created tools out of natural resources and used them for hunting, fishing, and textile making. For example: the Dakelh made arrow and spearheads out of stone, bone, antlers, teeth, and wood. Beaver nets were made out of caribou hide and plant bark which was woven together. Cooking containers were woven out of birch or spruce bark and pitch was spread on the bottom of the container to make it watertight. Can you think of some more examples of how First Nations people used natural material to create useful products?

When Europeans and First Nations groups began trading goods, the First Nations were happy to get metal tools, pots, and other items. First Nations peoples did not have iron-making technology, so it was important for them to trade for metal goods. Metal pots, knives, and tools made hunting, preparing, and cooking food much quicker.

The European fur traders used many First Nations technologies in order to adapt to the climate and land in Canada. There are a number of contributions that the First Nations peoples made to the success of the Europeans. Click here to see a few of them: