Hudson’s Bay | Francophone Songs in North America

The cliché, woven red arrowhead sash evokes a vivid character of perilous adventure – les voyageurs. They were mainly hired by The North West company in the fur trade industry during the 17^th and 18^th centuries.[1] Voyageurs and coureurs des bois were synonymous in the 17^th century; both were licensed traders responsible for the exchange of goods between suppliers to Indigenous peoples. While voyageurs remained contracted by merchants or military officers with permits, coureurs des bois did not have permits and were considered outlaws once the trading licence system was implemented in 1681.[2]

The voyageurs were young French men hired to transport goods to trading posts which later developed into a supervising role, a “canoe master”. Voyageurs ensured the engagés (hired workers) would transport goods from merchant-suppliers and return to Montreal with furs. “Merchant voyageurs” were contracted for three years by merchants and military officers with established trading companies. The fur trade shifted in the 19^th century; the number of engagés increased drastically and the bourgeois (often Scottish immigrants) replaced the role of the voyageur.[1]

Although the jovial voyageur folksongs and tales of exploration are romantic, they endured extreme hardship. A typical day involved paddling from 14 to 16 hours, sleeping under canoes, enduring mosquitoes, flies, and harsh elements such as the bitter cold, blistering sun, and pouring rain. During a portage, they carried approximately 170 lbs upon their backs. Their survival depended on cheerful camaraderie and supporting one another.[3]

Voyageurs had a variety of clothing attire over the centuries rather than the stereotypical red or blue tuque, arrowhead sash, moccasins, and hood produced by our collective imagination. Singing during their hard labour produced a large repertoire of tuneful songs, such as “Alouette,” “Rame rame,” and “C’est l’aviron.” Annually, events such as the Festival du Voyageur (Manitoba) are presented to celebrate the voyageurs and French-Canadian culture through exquisite cuisine, lively dance, and festive music.[4]

Suggested Sources:

Foster, John E. , and Suzanne Gousse. “Voyageurs.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published June 07, 2007; Last Edited November 07, 2019.
Wien, Tom. “Coureurs des bois.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 06, 2006; Last Edited November 07, 2019.

Government of Canada. “The voyageurs.” Accessed March 6, 2025. https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/lachine/culture/histoire-history/site/voyageurs

Festival du Voyageur. “Infos Générales.” Accessed March 6, 2025. https://heho.ca/festival/infos-generales/

Related Contents:

Rame, rame

C’est l’aviron

Alouette!

The Voyageur Song

The Voyageurs (NFB film)

Hudson’s Bay Company was chartered on May 2, 1670. It began as a fur trading business as a
result of the increasing demand in beaver fur, and it would later become one of the largest fur
trade companies in the world. As of today, Hudson’s Bay Company is a private business owned
by a holding company. The company was founded when French traders Médard Chouart des
Groseilliers and his brother-in-law, Pierre-Esprit Radisson, after being rejected Quebec and
French support, sought patronage of England by proposing a trading route that reached the
interior part of the continent. This route eventually gave traders easy access to fur resources
from the local indigenous people. After being persuaded by Prince Rupert of the idea of a fur
trade and its economic potential of that region, King Charles II agreed to finance a voyage to
Hudson Bay.

The first voyage happened on June 3, 1688 with Radisson setting out on the Eaglet and des
Groseilliers on the Nonsuch. The Eaglet was damaged by a storm, however, the Nonsuch
returned a year later with a cargo of beaver pelts. Convinced by this return, later on May 2,
1760, King Charles II granted a Royal Charter to Prince Rupert and his “Company of
Adventurers of England trading into Hudson’s Bay,” hence the Hudson’s Bay Company was
officially established. This royal charter gave the company the control of trade and ownership of
all lands surrounded by the water flowing into the Bay, which was later named Rupert’s Land,
this totaled to be more than 3 million square miles of land. This territory ultimately became
provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, southern Alberta, parts of British Columbia, northwest-
Nunavut Territory, northern Ontario, and northern Quebec. It also covered regions of present-
day Montana, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. In fact, many parts of Rupert’s Land
later became known as “Métis Homeland” by the Métis people.

As a result of the fur trade, Indigenous people’s lifestyle and economy has changed; many
came to rely on European manufactured goods and food for survival, and led to an increased
competition among Indigenous peoples for European goods. Previously, Indigenous traders
mostly acted as the middlemen, as they brought furs from communities hidden further inland to
trading posts. Later more indigenous people moved away from their territory in search of fur
animals in order to obtain a better trade position.

Among the goods traded, beaver pelts were the most valuable to the settlers, and they were
considered the highest quality after trapping during fall and winter months. The indigenous
traders traded beaver pelts for metal goods like guns, also textiles and food. They had a
currency of the fur trade which was the Made Beaver coin, this was introduced in order to
standardize trade; one beaver coin was equivalent to one prime beaver skin.

Suggested Sources:

Arthur J. Ray, “Hudson’s Bay Company,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Nathan Coschi, Leanna Fong, Sasha Yusufali, Nathan Baker, and Jessica Poulin (eds.). Published online, 2 April 2009; Last edited, 19 January 2013. Accessed online, 6 March 2025, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hudsons-bay-company

Harris, Carolyn, “Rupert’s Land,” Canada’s History. Published online, 26 October 2016. Accessed online, 6 March 2025, https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/exploration/rupert-s-land

“What is Rupert’s Land?” Rupert’s Land Institute. Accessed online, 6 March 2025, https://www.rupertsland.org/about/what-is-ruperts-land/

“The Fur Trade,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Accessed online 6 March 2025, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/the-fur-trade.

“Hudson’s Bay Company Beginnings,” ‌CBC History, Accessed online, 6 March 2025, https://www.cbc.ca/history/EPCONTENTSE1EP6CH1PA5LE.html