Fort William, on the north shore of Lake Superior, became an important gathering location within the historic fur trade when the North West Company relocated their Lake Superior district headquarters there in 1803. Annual gatherings at Fort William brought together North West Company employees from across its vast geographic network. These gatherings at Fort William became known as the ‘Great Rendezvous’. The Rendezvous was an important part of the annual fur trade cycle. It

New Year’s has long been an important day of celebration in many Métis communities. For some, the date was marked with happy visiting among friends and relatives. For others, New Year’s was a time to let loose. For those of the latter inclination, the need for a lively New Year’s party was further heightened after the 1821 merger of the Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company when HBC Governor George Simpson imposed new rules to curtail Métis workers’ love of parties and

The Métis fought as allies to the British in the Upper Great Lakes throughout the War of 1812, protecting their communities and homelands from American invasion. Métis militiamen fought in the Voyageur Corps, raised by the North West Company, and played key battlefield roles in pivotal engagements like the capture of Fort Mackinac. Métis women also contributed significantly to the war effort, equipping soldiers and their loved ones with essential items, like now-famous Macki

Many Indigenous people and nations in the Upper Great Lakes allied with and fought alongside the British Army during the War of 1812. Louis George Labatte of the Upper Great Lakes Métis Community was one such veteran. Labatte participated in the capture of Mackinaw and other pivotal events. Through his experiences, Louis George Labatte had many stories to pass along to his children about his time during the war. His son, Antoine Labatte, later recounted one of his father’s

Métis communities across the Homeland were important contributors to the fur trade, with Métis men and women working at trading posts for both the Northwest Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Many Métis participated in the annual ‘overwintering’ during the winter months. Overwintering involved fur traders living and working at remote forts, often with only a few other employees, throughout the winter, ensuring an unbroken annual economic cycle. There are several references

Métis communities across the Homeland have grand celebrations during the winter holiday season. Christmas and New Year’s became particularly important holidays in Métis communities after the merging of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Northwest Company in 1821, when HBC Governor George Simpson, imposed new rules to reduce partying among lively Métis workers: “The new governor was much less enthusiastic about the fur traders' love of entertainment, believing that it interrup