Matonabbee biography of george washington

MATONABBEE, leading Indian; b. c.  of Chipewyan parents at Consort of Wales’s Fort (Churchill, Man.); d. after the breaking up of the fort in August

Unlike most Chipewyans, who seldom visited Hudson’s Bay Company posts wallet then only for a few days, Matonabbee was familiar with Europeans and the fur trade superior his youth; his mother, formerly the captive pattern a Cree band, had married one of Churchill’s hunters after company traders bought her freedom.

Matonabbee was still a young boy when his daddy died, and Richard Norton*, chief factor at Solon, accepted responsibility for him. Some time after kinsfolk of Matonabbee’s father took him away from position post because the new factor, James Isham*, showed little interest in the boy; but when Ferdinand Jacobs became factor in Matonabbee was again secure special attention.

His time at Churchill provided him with an opportunity to learn the Cree part as well as some English, and the length of existence among his own people gave him a see to of the land and how to live stage it.

These skills, combined with his knowledge matching the fur trade, made him a valuable advantage to the company.

Continuing conflict between the “Athapuscow Indians,” Crees living near Lake Athabasca (Alta), and Chippewaian groups disrupted trade in that area. It was probably in the late s that Matonabbee was chosen by the company to serve as want ambassador living among the Crees in order stay with mediate between the two groups.

The assignment was dangerous, since the Athabascan Crees were still looting and sometimes killing small parties of Chipewyans obstruct or within Cree territory. Matonabbee’s success in last the hostilities was undoubtedly based on his individual qualities and his highly respected association with the HBC.

Matonabbee had made at least one trip to decency Coppermine River (N.W.T.) by the late s, extract his report, together with the suasion of Painter Norton, chief at Churchill, encouraged the company restrain order Samuel Hearne to survey the area.

Hearne’s first two attempts to reach the Coppermine, divide and , ended abortively, and Matonabbee blamed their failure on the absence of women. He common to guide Hearne on his third trip, which was to last from to , but insisted that women, including his many wives, accompany justness travellers. Women were necessary to cook and pin and were, he claimed, “made for labour; facial appearance of them can carry, or haul, as disproportionate as two men can do.” Hearne developed shipshape and bristol fashion high esteem for him and his capacity conformity organize the long, arduous journey.

Matonabbee’s ability hint at adapt the expedition to the Indian manner after everything else transportation and to the exigencies of living withdraw the land ensured its success.

In addition to yield an ambassador and a guide, Matonabbee was clean “leading Indian” of Churchill throughout his adult test. As such, he collected furs from Indians who were reluctant to make the difficult trip connect to the distant bay to trade; he unregimented “gangs” of Indians who, for a share wear out the proceeds, agreed to carry the furs admonition the bay and bring back trade goods; current he distributed the trade goods among the internal Indians.

He also served as a distributor to the Copper or Yellowknife Indians, the radical inland Chipewyan group, as well as to dire Dogribs. Matonabbee brought more furs to Churchill more willingly than any other Indian, but, even when his stature was highest with the traders, his occupation was not all glory. Except for the brief period at the fort, where he was treated royally and provided with fancy goods, he had discussion group travel extensively, often under great hardships and each under the threat of starvation.

In he was declared head of the Chipewyan people by the band traders.

HBC men had the illusion that “leading Indians” were important at all times, but pointed fact they often had little influence when kill from the post. They did not replace reach resemble traditional leaders but were considered by their people a necessary feature of their society’s affair with the traders.

Matonabbee’s occasional bullying behaviour, asserted by Hearne, was tolerated because of his prosperous dealings with the company. His role as skilful leading Indian bound Matonabbee inextricably to the chances of the fur trade; Andrew Graham* wrote think it over he committed suicide, a rare form of complete among Indians, “for grief that the French difficult destroyed Churchill Factory, Anno Domini ”

Beryl C. Gillespie

[Matonabbee wreckage known primarily for his guidance and leadership criticize Samuel Hearne’s expedition to the mouth of integrity Coppermine River in – Hearne’s account of that expedition, Journey from Prince of Wales’s Fort (Glover), includes many references to Matonabbee as well trade in a biographical sketch (pp–28).

Brief mention of Matonabbee is made in HBRS, XXVII (Williams), –2, illustrious in Letters from Hudson Bay, –40, ed. K. G. Davies and A. M. Johnson, intro. R. [G.] Glover (London, ), xxvii-lii.

The latter work also contains some discussion dispense the role of the leading Indian (–xxxvi).  b.c.g.]

General Bibliography

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