Pemmican was a type of food invented by Native Americans at some unknown point in their long history. It consists, normally, of a mixture of dried pulverized meat (bison, moose, elk or deer), dried berries (normally saskatoon or blueberries), and rendered animal fat. It became popular because the natives discovered that, if properly packaged, it will last for long periods of time, thereby creating a food source to help them make it through the brutal winters in the northern Midwest. In essence, it was an early “trail mix.”
So, how did pemmican play an important role in the history of North America? Well, for one thing, it was the cause of a war.
The Famine of 1814
That's right. In 1814 there was a food shortage in the Red River Colony (consisting of parts of present day North Dakota, Minnesota and Manitoba), a sparcely populated territory, governed by one Miles Macdonell and owned by the Hudson's Bay Company, one of the two chief fur-trading corporations of the time (the other being the North West Company).
In response to the near famine conditions, Governor Macdonell at Fort Douglas (so named after Thomas Douglas, who had founded the colony for the Hudson's Bay Company), responded by issuing what was known as the Pemmican Proclamation, which forbade the residents of the colony (mostly Metis Indians, the makers of the pemmican) from exporting the substance outside of the colony.
Those most affected by the proclamation were members of the North West Company who accused The Hudson's Bay Company of unlawfully restricting the trade of the Indians, thereby monopolizing the fur industry in the area.
War!
The edict thusly issued, the ensuing controversy led twice to attacks on fort Douglas by the Metis Indians (who themselves didn’t appreciate such free-market stifling actions). Thereafter, Macdonell suffered several nervous breakdowns and finally resigned in 1815 as Governor, to be replaced by Robert Semple, who agreed to continue the policy enacted in the Pemmican Proclamation.
These events finally began to boil over in 1816, when a band of Metis stole a supply of Pemmican from the Hudson's Bay Company and offered to sell it to the North West Company. Robert Semple and several of his men gave chase to the Indians, finally meeting them in a place south of Fort Douglas called Seven Oaks (the resulting fight would be called, naturally, “The Battle of Seven Oaks”). There a great firefight ensued, with Semple (supposedly) firing the first shot. The Metis were excellent marksmen and defeated Semple's men quickly, killing 22, including the Governor himself, while suffering only 2 casualties themselves. This was seen as a victory for the Metis, the North West Company, and (one presumes) for free market capitalism.
Results of the Battle
Of course The Battle of Seven Oaks seems to have come to nothing in hindsight, as it wasn't four years later that these two rival trading companies, who had all but gone to war over their differences, were forced to merge into a single body by the British Government (who at that point were still in charge of most of Canada), who feared that hostilities between the two had become quite out of hand.
All that for a few lousy pieces of dried meat and berry food.
References:
“The Battle of Seven Oaks.” Metis Culture and Heritage Resource Center Inc.
“Pemmican Recipes.” Physical Mind.
 |
