Want to know more about the Courer Des Bois? The Voyageurs? Well you're at the right place!
The Courer Des Bois are super cool. When they began working in the Canadian Shield region, they completely adapted to the environment. They even changed their clothing to suit their new way of life. They started with a man named Etienne Brule, who was a French Explorer. He actually went to live with and among the Ouendat (a First Nations group) to learn their language and become a translator. From them, he learned how to survive on the land and use the waterways for travel.
Soon more men came to this area of Canada to work in the fur trade, and made their living as Coureurs Des Bois. They became friends with the First Nations and traveled on their own. They would load their canoes with goods from France, and then travel north and west on the waterways. There, they met First Nations trappers and traded the items for furs. Once they returned to the French owned areas in the Atlantic region, they would sell their furs and then set out to get more.
The voyageurs were usually were usually Canadien or Metis. Many First Nations people liked doing business with the Canadiens because they were willing to learn First Nations languages. They also respected the First Nations ways of life. Like the Coureurs Des Bois, the voyageurs had a hard life. They portaged past waterfalls and rapids (carrying their canoes on their backs), camped outdoors, and paddled for hours. Unlike the coureurs des bois, these men worked in groups and were employees of The North West Company. They supported the traders who worked further inland by delivering supplies.
*** Are you looking for the definition of pemmican? This should be familiar to you. Hint: it is in your travel log already, go find it! Interior Plains, Metis.... wink wink. Nudge nudge.