Angulalik: Kitikmeot Fur Trader

The Teacher and Instructor's  Guide

Introduction

Junior High 1

Junior High 2

Senior High 1

Senior High 2

Adult 1

Adult 2

Adult 3

Kitikmeot Heritage Society 

Senior High 2 - The Fur Trade: Then and Now

Outcomes

The students will be introduced to the history of the fur trade with emphasis on the decline of the fur trade in the 1970’s and how this affected Inuit.

Background

In the early 1800’s, whaling was the main catch being traded in the Kitikmeot region but this eventually led to the fur trade and the fox hunt.  Stephen Angulalik, an independent fur trader prospered from the fur trade.  Stephen was also a proficient sealer.  When the “Stop the Seal Hunt” campaign began in the 1970’s, the traditional economy of the Inuit was greatly affected, even though the campaign was directed towards the methods of Canada’s Atlantic Coast, not Inuit seal hunters.

Residing in New Brunswick at the time, Brian Davies of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) led an aggressive campaign with support from Greenpeace, the United Kingdom (UK) government and the famous French actress Bridget Bardot.  Unfortunately, when the UK eventually banned the import of baby seal skins, it was difficult for the Inuit to educate foreigners on the difference between their hunting methods versus those of the Atlantic Coast, and their trade economy declined as a result.  This did not only impact the sale of the seal but of all fur bearing animals including fox and wolverine, making Stephen Angulalik one of the last independent fur traders to prosper from the fur trade.

Hosted by  .