Bartering
Bartering was very important for Indigenous people, particularly for the Algonquians, because it allowed them to obtain products they could not make themselves. The Algonquian people, who hunted and fished, exchanged skins, fur and meat with other nations who did not have any. In exchange, they received, especially from the Iroquoians, agricultural products such as corn, squash, beans and tobacco. For example, the Anishinabeg or Algonquin Nation (which belongs to the Algonquian language family) sometimes traded the dried fish it prepared from fishing in exchange for corn grown by the Huron [Wendat] nation (which belongs to the Iroquoian language family).
Fairs !
Since the Algonquians travelled a lot, they did not see other bands very often. So they organized gatherings where they went to meet with members of other nations and bands for a few days to exchange goods; in other words, to Barter – Troc.
Author: Alexandre Lanoix. Adaptations and translations by LEARN/RÉCIT.
Important concepts and big ideas:
Adapt to the environment – S’adapter à l’environnement
Barter – Troc
Resources – Ressources
Subsistence – Subsistance
Trade Network – réseau de échanges