(Photo: Arial view of Île-à-la-Crosse / provided by Louis Gardiner)
Île-à-la-Crosse Metis Local 21 President Louis Gardiner is speaking out against the auctioning off of historical items from the Hudson Bay Company.
“Given the fact that, you know, the age of our historic Métis community, which is going to be 250 years next year, and we were part of the first industry in Western Canada, which was the fur trade,” said Louis Gardiner, President of Metis Local 21. “We felt that Hudson Bay Company was initially a big part of our (community), the first industry, which was the fur trade at that time, and we felt that some of the history that’s going to be actually auctioned off should come home to us in Île-à-la-Crosse, and we feel that we can store it here ourselves.”
The next step, according to Gardiner, is to formally inform the Hudson Bay Company and the Government of Canada that they would like to meet with them and discuss the historical artifacts. They intend to highlight Île-à-la-Crosse history and leave a legacy for the next generation, who should be aware of Île-à-la-Crosse’s heritage.
“It’s very important that we do that as a community, and it helps our history in terms of being a proud Métis and how far we’ve come,” explained Gardiner.
Elders brought the issue of the selling off of artifacts forward to Gardiner and asked if any of the artifacts would be going to the community, since they were a part of the fur trade. They also shared that they were the first ones, in reference to the Hudson Bay Company fur trading posts, which was instrumental in the fur trade field in Northern Saskatchewan.
“We never really wrote our history enough, and I think it’s time we do that and leave something for our younger generation,” said Gardiner. “Also for the world to know what role Île-à-la-Crosse played in the fur trade, and we just want to tell our story, our side of it. And so it’d be nice if the government of Canada and Hudson’s Bay Company would knock on our door and say, Let’s talk.”
The northern village of Île-à-la-Crosse, also known as Sakitawak, a Cree word meaning where the rivers meet, was established in 1776. It is the second oldest settlement in Western Canada.
The Hudson Bay Company started constructing posts along the inland rivers in 1779. William Linklater posted in the community in the same year. One of the major fur trading hubs was Île-à-la-Crosse fur trading post.