The biggest separation probably occured at about the time of Confederation, but began several years before, when the British took possession of Canada. Unlike the French, who promoted intermarriage, the British had no desire to join them, but preferred to beat them, and forced many off their original homelands to make way for the Loyalists, fleeing from persecutuion after the American Revolution. Before that time they only drove themselves off, with the joy of victory or resignation of defeat.
But since my own study centers around the role of women in Canadian history, this portion of the website will present our history from the perspective of the native women, who had a much more active role than you might think, in the development of our nation.
Canada was founded on trade, and no one was more important to that trade, than the women. At first, the trade goods were mostly agriculture products, cultivated by the women, but with the arrival of the Europeans, the emphasis shifted to fur. Fur, fur and more fur. They couldn't get enough, and the female role shifted from provider of the goods to facilitator of the operation. The men did the hunting and trapping, but the women played a key role in establishing and maintaining the best market for their product. By entering into marriage with, mostly French, traders; they were able to integrate them into their own society. They were now kinfolk, and as such, new loyalties were gained for their communities. Monogamy wasn't important, but clan membership was.
If you question this intent, than why did so many men go to live with his wife's native family, even if only for a few years; yet few, if any; native women, joined their French husbands in their settlement? No doubt some of these relationships were romantic, but stories of lost hunters espying beautiful Indian maidens in the woods, and carrying them off, are just that. Stories.
The fact is, matchmakers or "procurers", sought the best deal possible for their community, clan or tribe, and matches were formed based on the best economic opportuniies. More precise cultural views on marriage and sexual relations, can be found with the links below, but generally speaking, the women had a lot of power, and they knew it.
On the other side of the coin, a French trader's success was largely determined by his willingness to respect this kinship shaped by native women; as later British traders found out when they were never really able to enjoy the success of their French counterparts.
It is also a popular theory, that with conversion to Chritianity, native women were forced to play a more docile role. However, while in theory this should have been the case, in practice, her power was actually increased. The Jesuits soon realized that rather than try to impose strict adherence to their Christian principles, they would have more success if they altered those principles to better tie in with Native beliefs. This resulted in kind of a frontier Catholocism, that enhanced women's power. She led the family in prayer and employed oral traditions to illuminate Christian truths, a role that formerly fell to her male elders. The Great Spirit was now Manitou and he was brought to life by the women.
