Video
Trade Scene at Fort Union
Transcript
Welcome to Fort Union. This is the longest lasting trading post in the United States. This room is the reception room. This is the entire reason the fort was built. This is where all the negotiations between the Indian leadership and the traders would take place. The tribes would set up camp all around the Fort and a delegation of chiefs and elders would arrive here in the reception room and meet with the traders. An interpreter was often used to translate between the trader and the Indian negotiators. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] Tell him I'm glad to see him, and I hope he wintered well. Fire be going, there be coffee on, there be a stew cooked. Everybody had a meal, had to be a good host, get caught up with the latest news, latest gossip, how'd everybody do over the winter. Probably doing business with my in-laws, too, so they're going to be checking in on me, as well. Lots of long winded and very formal speeches, which would all boil down to how glad we are to come together for this trade. And there be a gift giving ceremony. We'd receive the pipe bag, or the [NON-ENGLISH], or the bow and quiver from the different chiefs. We'd give them a gift to some tobacco, maybe a blanket, or a musket. A little politics here, going to be trading with nine different tribes, so you had to make sure you had the right decorations up for who's in the area. This whole process, this was the protocol you had to follow-- this is the meals, the visits, the speeches, the gift giving ceremony. This would take anywhere from six to eight hours before you actually get down, start business. The pelts were a commodity, so the prices actually varied from year to year, depending on what the market would bear, would influence the negotiations and also the quality of the pelts, how well tanned they are, if it was a winter hide, versus the summer hide. For your otters, he's looking for knives. Three knives and beads. It's good. The Chiefs were negotiating for their tribe. So once the prices were set, they would trade at the large wicket. And then they would go back out to camp and they'd show everybody, this is what you can expect if you bring hides. This is the deal we worked out. Now, each family did their own individual trading. But once the price had been set, the rest of the tribe would line up outside the wickets and do their own trading for whatever items they need. If you'd like to learn more about the fur trade, please speak to one of the rangers during his stay here at Fort Union.
Description
Between 1828 and 1867, Fort Union was the most important fur trade post on the Upper Missouri River. Here, the Assiniboine and other Northern Plains Tribal Nations exchanged buffalo robes and smaller furs for goods from around the world, including cloth, guns, blankets, and beads. Learn how Traders and tribal trade partners annually exchanged over 25,000 buffalo robes for over $100,000 in merchandise.
Duration
2 minutes, 42 seconds
Credit
NPS
Date Created
09/09/2009
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