Furs Along The Yukon Summary

Kenneth Coates, author of Furs Along the Yukon: HC-Native Trade in the Yukon River Basin examines and explores the Fur Trade of the Yukon River Basin before the Klondike Gold rush in pursuit to analyze the early economic development of Yukon. Coates furthermore attempts to question the native-European exchange in one of the last regions of initial contact between aboriginal residents and Europeans in North America. It was believed that the miners and the Herschel Island whalers impacted the fur trade, varying the customary demands of the natives and transformed the native economy and HBC, and Americans, whom didn’t have significant impact of the structure and content of the fur trade. The Natives recognized their own necessity to trade and

negotiated themselves to be in a favorable position to be in control though boycotts, coercion and encouragement of competition as the role of Natives in the fur trade was not of reluctant to Europeans commands. This scholarly paper sufficiently viewed the period of the Trade through different lenses, particularly focusing the Native role in trade as trade networks were already in placed amongst the aboriginal groups. Fur Trade implicitly doesn’t need huge population base, or economic activity but mainly partnerships because trade leads to settlement. It was noted in lectures that French and British would increase their involvement in the Trade for the Growth of European Colonization, as there was an increased competition to trade with Native groups (Briggs, January 11th 2016, Slide 5).
The Pre-contact trade purpose was to exchange coast products for the produce among the Yukon Basin natives to residue inequalities of supply of definite valued items, which was originally between regions serving to exchange. Animal hides for fish were already trades amongst themselves prior to the Natives meeting the Europeans due to animal migration patterns accessible in their area while Yukon Kutchin traded dried salmon for commodities. It represented a regionally and mutually understanding between bands to fulfill the needs by interior for coastal products and place the importance of value by trading surpluses for rare products as Tlingit Indians first band to gain access to reliable European goods. Partnerships were created from leaders of each group between traditional rivals such as the Kutchin and the Inuit to ensure that arrangements were enforced for strictly trading purposes and resume during times of resentments. It was mentioned in lecture that another way of transporting goods can and will bring more opportunities to exploit further goods and this brings the notion Coates exemplifies that trading goods can be accessed conveniently and frequently and have engaged in economic activities to adapt the nature of competition in the trading industry (Briggs, January 18th 2016, Slide 10).
Trading is bigger in terms of its scale as it is critical products/export that is needed related to major developments. For example, furs have been used as part of clothing such as hats that can be represented as occupation, which ultimately increases demand and desire for furs to generate revenue. Coates conveys the idea that for Youcon to become highly profitable but with risks and costs associated, transportation up the river and the fur trade being a 7-year cycle induced trade to be financed on credit. Demand and power was illustrated in this reading when Kutchin used their middleman status to their benefit and prohibited other bands to deal with HBC directly. HBC attempted to control the trade by preferential treatment to trade chiefs but ultimately failed. The natives declined to new materialistic culture and kept their demands rigid and firm, forcing HBC to adapt to the increasing demands.
Traders would regularly travel inland to trade and outbid HBC counteracting them from seeing a return on investment when HBC lastly established a post out West.

However, they declined to explore no further than the West and was supposedly alleged from the Indians attack. HBC did not want to violate on Russian property or create a path from the pacific inland for other competitors to use. Competition increased when competitors gained access to resources and created alliances and trading partners to further develop and expand their industry. Natives inferred rivalry with the Russian Fur Company spreading mistruths of them coming closer to where HBC’s outpost was. This generated positives and negatives for natives in their trade influence and request were dealt with quickly and in demand for short supply goods. Nevertheless, HBC refused to lower tariffs or prices due to the anticipated profit. The Natives were able to manufacture competition for 15 years before HBC began sending ships down stream to Trade which cut out the Kutchin’s middle man status. In 1893, HBC removed themselves from the area and Americans, whalers and soon to be miners all brought distinctive products to the natives that were previously forbidden. The Natives exploited competition as they always purchased goods cheaper from the Americans after US purchased Alaska and competition traders quickly settled

in.
The interpretations the author claims compliments the information presented in class because it supports trading to be one of the major economic developments, and the increased trade led to more competition and military alliances with natives. HBC was then formed and control through Bay as it lures readers to think about the impact it had on today settlements and how trading has evolved. It exhibits that resources are scarce and competition is tough when wealth, power, and social status come into play. The evidence presented was influential to grasps readers to consider the main issue from a bigger scale rather than just its comprised facts. By including such material, it is simple to connect the major progressing schemes that shape up what our nation is today from past history such as the Fur Trade, European expansion and how Canadian business history has expanded as it accelerated economic diversification and industrial growth.