Home >> The Beginnings >> Métis of the Northwest >> Métis Traders

The history of Métis involvement in trade began in New France, when unlicensed men would venture into the woods to trade with Aboriginal tribes for products of the wild. French fur traders and the NWC sent out voyageurs (en derouine)¹ to barter with Aboriginals in their camps. The traders would receive an outfit to trade goods for the winter, including ammunition and trade cloth. The men were sent to collect the furs and provisions owed to the trading companies. It was not unheard of for employees to make some trades on the side. There are records of men trading away their personal effects for "leather" clothes, moccasins, and snowshoes. The Métis also participated in trade with the Europeans.

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