|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
Product Description
Voyageurs are highly visible today as colourful caricatures in popular culture and history. They adorn the labels of beer bottles, the sides of U-Haul vans, and web sites. Winter festivals in Minnesota and Manitoba commemorate their legend. By placing them squarely in the centre of fur trade and labour studies, Carolyn Podruchny's Making the Voyageur World frees voyageurs from their mystique as picturesque historical cartoons through a detailed analysis of their unique occupational culture.
Voyageur life was shaped by the men's shared roots as canadiens and habitants, as well as their encounters with Aboriginal peoples, and the exigencies of their jobs - they traveled constantly through varied landscapes and social worlds. Voyageurs numerically dominated the Montreal fur trade, formed kin ties with Aboriginal women, and settled in the northwest to raise their families. By examining their lives in conjunction with the metaphor of the voyage, Podruchny reveals not only the everyday lives of her subjects - what they ate, their cosmology, rituals of celebration, their families, and above all, their work - but underscores their resonance in history as well as in the Métis communities they helped found.
About the Author
Carolyn Podruchny is an assistant professor in the Department of History at York University.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Splendid Analysis about Trade, Aboriginals and Newcomers in Early Canada,
By Signa Daum Shanks (Department of History, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, CANADA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Making the Voyageur World: Travelers and Traders in the North American Fur Trade (Paperback)
So frequently, those who study history think they will not enjoy learning about western Canada's fur trade. Even amongst the folks who specialize in the subfields of the prairies, British North America or indigenous peoples, there often lies an assumption that whatever happened at posts, on the river highways, or in the bush, it will not be particularly compelling.If any book will change skeptics' beliefs about the relevance of Aboriginal-newcomer relations, economic history or the North West, it is Professor Carolyn Podruchny's effort. When read, it will come as no surprise that _Making the Voyageur World_, Podruchny's very first book, was a finalist for "Best Book in Canadian History" (2007) as awarded by the Canadian Historical Association. For those of us interested in the subfields this work touches on, it contributes to history and historiography immensely.But -as important - Podruchny demonstrates she can preach to those considered very unconvertible. She will reach already-made history buffs and (well-formed) history-haters alike. A scholar could not hope for more. Podruchny takes the reader on a historical trip to explore how the normative nature of 'voyage' should have a broad definition. Men who decided to be an explorer/trader/New France-representative traveled the land and rivers, but they also entered various circles which introduced different cultures, climates and concepts. Many of their own values were influenced by trade. Yet appreciating Canada's eighteenth and nineteenth centuries using monetary terms alone would be historically incomplete. To illustrate this view, Podruchny explains why someone would become a voyageur in the first place, what cosmologies voyageurs had, how their world-views evolved, how they socialized, how they made money and how they took care of other basic human functions. The roles of sexuality and entertainment in voyageurs' lives, for example, are two subjects Podruchny uses to reveal how journeys are not only measured by the number of miles traveled. Today, many of those who write about indigenous peoples still underrate or completely ignore events in indigenous cultures' pasts which show the complicated nature of pre-contact trade, personal relationships, and politics. Podruchny confidently assumes that Aboriginals were active agents, and she provides examples all the time about why the rest of us should believe her. By also regularly interweaving remarks about other scholars into the main narrative, Podruchny easily discusses the "history of 'history'" without being boring or sentimental. Podruchny's writing is punchy, and even funny at times. When she is metaphorical, she is never unbelievable. Like Carlo Ginzburg, she shows how we can notice some moments in the past and then use this information to deduce conclusions about other events previously considered inexplicable. Like the canoes she details in _Making the Voyageur World_, Podruchny takes her reader on a (historical) voyage which is (scholastically) water-tight, full of valuable material and just the right length. And like the voyageurs do, Podruchny entertains, adapts well to (research) conditions in order to achieve her purpose, and leaves us wanting to know more about Canada's pre-confederation times. Her voyageurs make it in the historic world. Podruchny makes it -and splendidly so- in our historical one.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Splendid Analysis About Trade, Aboriginals and Newcomers in Early Canada,
By Signa Daum Shanks (Department of History, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, CANADA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Making the Voyageur World: Travelers and Traders in the North American Fur Trade (France Overseas: Studies in Empire and D) (Paperback)
So frequently, those who study history think they will not enjoy learning about western Canada's fur trade. Even amongst the folks who specialize in the subfields of the prairies, British North America or indigenous peoples, there often lies an assumption that whatever happened at posts, on the river highways, or in the bush, it will not be particularly compelling.If any book will change skeptics' beliefs about the relevance of Aboriginal-newcomer relations, economic history or the North West, it is Professor Carolyn Podruchny's effort. When read, it will come as no surprise that _Making the Voyageur World_, Podruchny's very first book, was a finalist for "Best Book in Canadian History" (2007) as awarded by the Canadian Historical Association. For those of us interested in the subfields this work touches on, it contributes to history and historiography immensely.But -as important - Podruchny demonstrates she can preach to those considered very unconvertible. She will reach already-made history buffs and (well-formed) history-haters alike. A scholar could not hope for more. Podruchny takes the reader on a historical trip to explore how the normative nature of 'voyage' should have a broad definition. Men who decided to be an explorer/trader/New France-representative traveled the land and rivers, but they also entered various circles which introduced different cultures, climates and concepts. Many of their own values were influenced by trade. Yet appreciating Canada's eighteenth and nineteenth centuries using monetary terms alone would be historically incomplete. To illustrate this view, Podruchny explains why someone would become a voyageur in the first place, what cosmologies voyageurs had, how their world-views evolved, how they socialized, how they made money and how they took care of other basic human functions. The roles of sexuality and entertainment in voyageurs' lives, for example, are two subjects Podruchny uses to reveal how journeys are not only measured in the number of miles traveled. Today, many of those who write about indigenous peoples still underrate or completely ignore events in indigenous cultures' pasts which show the complicated nature of pre-contact trade, personal relationships, and politics. Podruchny confidently assumes that Aboriginals were active agents, and she provides examples all the time about why the rest of us should believe her. By also regularly interweaving remarks about other scholars into the main narrative, Podruchny easily discusses the "history of 'history'" without being boring or sentimental. Podruchny's writing is punchy, and even funny at times. When she is metaphorical, she is never unbelievable. Like Carlo Ginzburg, she shows how we can notice some moments in the past and then use this information to deduce conclusions about other events previously considered inexplicable. Like the canoes she details in _Making the Voyageur World_, Podruchny takes her reader on a (historical) voyage which is (scholastically) water-tight, full of valuable material and just the right length. And like the voyageurs do, Podruchny entertains, adapts well to (research) conditions in order to achieve her purpose, and leaves us wanting to know more about Canada's pre-confederation times. Her voyageurs make it in the historic world. Podruchny makes it -and splendidly so- in our historical one.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews) 13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Splendid Analysis about Trade, Aboriginals and Newcomers in Early Canada,
By Signa Daum Shanks - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Making the Voyageur World: Travelers and Traders in the North American Fur Trade (France Overseas: Studies in Empire and D) (Paperback)
So frequently, those who study history think they will not enjoy learning about western Canada's fur trade. Even amongst the folks who specialize in the subfields of the prairies, British North America or indigenous peoples, there often lies an assumption that whatever happened at posts, on the river highways, or in the bush, it will not be particularly compelling.If any book will change skeptics' beliefs about the relevance of Aboriginal-newcomer relations, economic history or the North West, it is Professor Carolyn Podruchny's effort. When read, it will come as no surprise that _Making the Voyageur World_, Podruchny's very first book, was a finalist for "Best Book in Canadian History" (2007) as awarded by the Canadian Historical Association. For those of us interested in the subfields this work touches on, it contributes to history and historiography immensely.But -as important - Podruchny demonstrates she can preach to those considered very unconvertible. She will reach already-made history buffs and (well-formed) history-haters alike. A scholar could not hope for more. Podruchny takes the reader on a historical trip to explore how the normative nature of 'voyage' should have a broad definition. Men who decided to be an explorer/trader/New France-representative traveled the land and rivers, but they also entered various circles which introduced different cultures, climates and concepts. Many of their own values were influenced by trade. Yet appreciating Canada's eighteenth and nineteenth centuries using monetary terms alone would be historically incomplete. To illustrate this view, Podruchny explains why someone would become a voyageur in the first place, what cosmologies voyageurs had, how their world-views evolved, how they socialized, how they made money and how they took care of other basic human functions. The roles of sexuality and entertainment in voyageurs' lives, for example, are two subjects Podruchny uses to reveal how journeys are not only measured by the number of miles traveled. Today, many of those who write about indigenous peoples still underrate or completely ignore events in indigenous cultures' pasts which show the complicated nature of pre-contact trade, personal relationships, and politics. Podruchny confidently assumes that Aboriginals were active agents, and she provides examples all the time about why the rest of us should believe her. By also regularly interweaving remarks about other scholars into the main narrative, Podruchny easily discusses the "history of 'history'" without being boring or sentimental. Podruchny's writing is punchy, and even funny at times. When she is metaphorical, she is never unbelievable. Like Carlo Ginzburg, she shows how we can notice some moments in the past and then use this information to deduce conclusions about other events previously considered inexplicable. Like the canoes she details in _Making the Voyageur World_, Podruchny takes her reader on a (historical) voyage which is (scholastically) water-tight, full of valuable material and just the right length. And like the voyageurs do, Podruchny entertains, adapts well to (research) conditions in order to achieve her purpose, and leaves us wanting to know more about Canada's pre-confederation times. Her voyageurs make it in the historic world. Podruchny makes it -and splendidly so- in our historical one. 7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The fur trade and labor relations,
By Richard Weaver "minister, writer and fur trad... - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Making the Voyageur World: Travelers and Traders in the North American Fur Trade (France Overseas: Studies in Empire and D) (Paperback)
This book is a scholarly treatment of the French and later British/French-Canadian fur trade in the northern tier of North America. It looks at the fur trade from the perspective of labor relations, and clearly identifies the differences in class, culture, and power that were common to the 18th and 19th century especially in connection with the North American fur trade. The author covers the ground thoroughly, and readers will come away having learned a great deal. As a scholarly writer, it seemed to me, however, that Podruchny was sometimes trying too hard to make the mundane seem interesting, or to draw conclusions that were just slightly strained. Overall a well-done presentation of the British fur trade from a new perspective, and a valuable recent addition to the literature about this part of North American history.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informative and Intriguing,
By marie - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Making the Voyageur World: Travelers and Traders in the North American Fur Trade (France Overseas: Studies in Empire and D) (Paperback)
I received this book as a birthday present several months ago and had a hard time putting it down! I admit to having a special interest in the Fur Traders, even though I am not an expert. Podruchny does an excellent job of describing all aspects of the culture and daily life of the voyageurs, and does not neglect small details, even while setting up the background. This being said, however, neither does her writing become tedious. I would recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the fur traders, or for someone looking to find a comprehensive review of business, hierarchy, religion, gender, Aboriginal relations, family, money, food, drink, or anything else as relating to the voyageurs.
|
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
