Generosity in the Harvest

The Métis community in Moose Factory took care of one another and those around them during times when resources were scarce and winters were long. 

Valentine Saunders, for example, worked diligently to provide for his large Métis family of seventeen children, establishing a hunting camp and using his skills to harvest hares, fish, and other game to ensure their well-being. This was essential given the challenges of provisioning such a remote location, which his son, John Saunders, addressed in his 1867 autobiography, noting that a "failure of rabbits and other animals" could lead to "a year of famine."

Valentine's generosity, however, wasn't confined to his family. Acknowledging his plentiful harvest, he voluntarily gave a portion to a community member who had experienced a meager yield. This thoughtfulness during hardship earned community recognition and was formally noted by the local Hudson’s Bay Company postmaster:

“For poor Valentine notwithstanding his numerous and needy family has presently given Tom both fish and hares when he would not procure them himself.”

Valentine’s quiet act of care reminds us that in the harshest seasons, true abundance is not in the size of the harvest, but in the willingness to share it.

See Our Sources

• Abitibi Inland Historic Métis Community Métis National Council Expert Panel

• Flying Post Journal, December 20, 1848. HBCA, Flying Post Journal

• John Saunders, “My Autobiography, July 18, 1876” General Synod Archives

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