French and English Colonization ion James Bay Cree

French and English Colonization in James Bay Cree

The Crees, small ancient communities in Canada, occupy the region that neighbors James Bay to the southeast and the rivers around. This ancient community chiefly relies on fishing, trapping and game hunting for their livelihoods. The environment around coupled with the influence from missionaries easily drove the community to habitual survival tactics.

The era before 17^th century was marked by low merchandising and aggression but the arrival of the missionary instilled unprecedented fur pressure to the coastal Cree Aboriginals. To satisfy the fur demand, the community was forced to alter their lifestyles considerably; they acquired rifles that in turn helped them expand their fur trade. Missionary activities and trade openings that accompanied them altered the course of civilization of the Cree Aboriginals.

Most aboriginals still live under absolute poverty despite having witnessed numerous economic evolutions.  Considerable percentage of these communities is still reliant on fishing, trapping and hunting as their main source of livelihood. However there have been numerous changes in the environment which has also affected the lifestyles of the Aboriginals; transportation currently is through motor vehicles and snowmobiles. The installation of mega hydroelectric projects also affected their daily lives considerably. Currently, there are two major communities that occupy the region; the Crees whose population stands at 13,000 and the Jamesians whose population is larger than that of the Crees by about 5,000 people. The population growth of the Crees has remained low despite the fact that they have occupied the region for more than 40,000.

Communities living to the southeast of Canada; the subarctic regions are mostly reliant on subsistent farming, gathering, hunting and trapping of wild life. Their lifestyle livelihoods were largely marked by traditional survival tactics before the missionaries came and introduced fur trade. The European businessmen offered an alternative livelihood to the residence and more emphasis was now directed to trapping than other activities. To quench the ever increasing demand for fur, the communities sort other alternative hunting and trapping methods; they bought guns to improve their fur output and consequently increase their income.

The initial encounter with the Europeans which dates back more than three hundred years back, has transformed the lifestyles of the Aboriginals considerably. They abandoned some of their previous routines and took trapping of wildlife more seriously to supply the European fur market adequately. Trapping has been their main source of livelihood for a long time until recently when changes in land use has made yet another shift of economic activities.

Previous attacks by measles, smallpox, influenza and TB has hampered the population growth of the natives. Consequences of civilizations have also lowered the traditional activities of the people with a considerable percentage of them making shifts to subsistence farming. Development of infrastructural structures around this area has also had negative effects to the populace as it has resulted in extinction of many wildlife species or migration of some breeds of wild animals.

You cannot conclude the history of Canada without making a mention of an ancient Aboriginal group. Crees Aboriginals are a small group of people living in the southeast area of Canada whose population does not exceed thirteen thousand people. The intervention of Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers in the European market helped redefine the history of the Aboriginals. They convinced a close relative of King Charles I to convince his government to venture into the northern fur trade. It’s this move that altered the lifestyles of these people.

Through the east coast, the European world ventured into this area with an aim of introducing a business partnership with the locals. Fur market was the main cause of their arrival but more transverse between the two groups’ notably cultural practices adjustments that were more oriented to the western civilization. The locals imported some necessary paraphernalia than in turn aided their fur production to the benefit of the two regions. The Aboriginals also benefited from other utilities and goods e.g. the Europeans brought brands of beer, cigars and other drugs. Some of the things that were introduced by the Europeans went ahead to damage the natives treasured cultural lifestyles.

Although the Aboriginals are the most uncivilized groups in Canada, notable transitions that have been witnessed in the past 3 centuries can all be traced to the initial encounter with the Europeans.

James Bay region has been of interest to the Europeans since early 17^th century. The name of this region was derived from an early explorer called Henry Hudson whose initial activities helped reshape the history of the region. Europeans that made initial contact with the Quebec people transformed many aspects of the lives of the people. Notable was the introduction of fur trade between them and the European world; the locals were traditionally reliant on fishing, hunting and gathering of wild fruits. The new fur market forced majority of the people to turn to trapping and drop their regular activities.

The tribes living in the southeastern parts of Canada have been neglected by the central government for a long time. Although this part forms a fundamental part of the country’s history, the government has not had development priorities directed to the communities around here. The 1829 genocide of the Beothuk by the Europeans is an ideal example of negligence on the part of the government as it watched the killing of its people. However, previous encounters with the Europeans’ had bore fruits through provision of alternative sources of income. The Europeans set a platform for civilization for the local from which the Aboriginals have been building livelihoods around.

Although the locals are regarded as one of the most uncivilized groups in the world, europeans’ patronage and exploration will remain a significant stepping stone for the communities in this regions.