Barge

A large, flat bottomed boat capable of carrying 300-600 tonnes of freight on rivers and lakes, and pushed or pulled by a power boat.

Barged

Carried or transported on a barge.

Beaver

Perhaps the most important of all furs desired in the fur trade, the beaver is the largest rodent in North America. During the fur trade era beaver hats were fashionable and pelts were used in Europe between the 17th and 19th centuries. The underfur of the pelt was turned into a supple felt that held its shape when wet. It was boiled in a mix of water and nitric acid and then applied with heat and pressure to create felt. The material was then blocked, dyed, stiffened, waterproofed, ironed, trimmed and turned into the latest fashionable hat. One large beaver could be turned into as many as 18 hats.

Birch bark canoe

Birch bark canoes were sturdy yet lightweight and could be paddled and carried by one person. They were constructed using a variety of materials including birch bark for the skin of the canoe, cedar for the ribs and sheathing, and spruce roots and gum for the lashings and caulking.

Bride-Price

A negotiable sum that the Blackfoot, Plains Cree and Sarcee paid to the bride's people before marriage. The Bloods and the Peigans practiced an exchanging of gifts between the families of prospective spouses. The Assiniboine on the other hand, practiced the ‘bride service’ where the husband helped to support his in-laws for a customary period of time after the marriage.

Buffalo Jump

A steep embankment over which hunters would drive buffalo. This, along with the Buffalo Pound, were methods employed in the “factory” approach to hunting.

Buffalo Pound

A corral usually made of brush and hides, with a funnel-shaped fence leading to the entrance. Small herds of buffalo could be driven into the pound and killed.