The growth and success of the fur trade depended on the men and women of the First Nations and Métis Nation, while the competition between the HBC and the Northwest Company would forge a new era.
Hammer consisting of a stone head that has a groove carved around its circumference. The head is attached to a wooden handle with a thick sealskin thong that has been wound around the groove and tied to the handle.
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Related Material Learn more about the interaction between Aboriginal groups and Europeans - enter 'trade' or 'customs' in the search box to your left.
Have you seen our other trade artifact from Siberia?
Check the Beaver Index - e.g., type in 'Siberia' or 'Inuit.'
Did
You Know? This hammer was used for splitting open the long bones of animals such as caribou, for the marrow. Marrow was generally eaten raw and was extremely nutritious. It is a rich source of vitamin A, phosphorous, iron, thiamin, protein and polyunstaturated fatty acids.
The hammer was collected from the Chukchi who are Indigenous peoples of Chukotka in the far northeast corner of Siberia. They are both coastal hunters who primarily depended upon whales, seals, and walruses, and interior reindeer breeders and herders.
The Hudson’s Bay Company conducted a trade in furs in Siberia for a short period in the early 1920s at Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
