Emma Turner’s Skills and Legacy

Like many Métis women of the fur trade era, Emma Turner (nee good) employed her knowledge of the lands, waters, plants, and wildlife around western James Bay to sustain her family and community well beyond their home at Moose Factory.  

Complementing her husband Joseph’s work with the Hudson’s Bay Company, Emma was far more than a helper. She was an active participant, actively securing, preserving and preparing vital food supplies.

An 1812 report from a Hudson’s Bay Company postmaster illustrates Emma’s active and important role in the region’s fur trade economy:

“Joseph Turnor, & his wife, and John Kirkness to the fishing place with as many kegs as could be found for curing fish in.”

Gifts that Métis women, like Emma Turner, shared with those around them were not limited to harvesting only, but included a variety of other essential and valuable place-based skills that sustained their Métis families and communities throughout the seasons, and created a lasting foundation and enduring legacy for the generations who came after.

See Our Sources

• Turner Vignette

• Abitibi Submissions to the Expert Panel

• HBC Kenogamissi Post Journal, 1812-1813

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