It involves the changing of America if you will because this did change America it’s a point of tension it’s a point of change. it’s protected as this little time pocket that’s the melting pot that’s where you’re really melting everybody together and trying to see what you can come up with my Indian name is Zaa-sha-shee-dish. my grandfather’s were here there’s family ties for me that were actually standing on this site at one time there’s straight direct descendent. Also Read- Cool Clan Names
My family and people have lived on this land here forever our people came across the Great Prairie and looked upon the Missouri River and said this is our home before the coming of the white man there was definitely a trade system all over America from coast to coast from north to south the tribes had centuries of experience there are far more numerous than the mountain men. so they could bring in the supply that the fur company needed the beaver hat was all the rage of Europe and the United States a pound of beaver was bringing over $5.
All these different names they came in here and established clan. so if I’m gonna build a whole clan to trade I have to have something that you want you know because otherwise we’re not trading the Indians were ready to take the trade goods of Europe. Also Read- Guild Names
You saw all these things you never saw before mirrors and knives and beads what one offered the other one needed what the other one offered the other one needed and it happened in peace the fur trade starts at clan Union 1828. two major rivers come together at this location supplies of furs could be shipped down the rivers clan Union was sending 25,000 hides a year down the Missouri that’s a lot of highs from one part of the West.
These men are good at what they do they get every single beaver there’s just not the furs well let’s go to the Buffalo. we learned how to use the gun more Buffalo could be downed at a time they wanted the muskets the alternative was trying to chase down these animals that they had shot with an arrow they all had interdependent needs benefits and things to offer they were building this incredible cross-cultural society.
These fur traders who first go up those immediate immigrants they said oh you know what we know somebody who’s connected to the fur trade go to America when the European came they intermarried with tribes there’s a whole new race of people called metis my dad spoke basically French my mom on the other hand was Cree and they get in arguments about how you say something they had become close to these people yet offered great hope clan Union.
It was a bitter sweet relationship it had also its share of a lot of negativism we had smallpox that the traders brought in the diseases spread through the trade networks decimated many thousands of people it was all about cash it was all about making a profit the community began to become more individualized people sewing their own cloth trade items our culture changed immensely in those few years it seems like a long time.
But it’s not we weren’t ready for what we were about to face where did clan Union go where did all of that go the Buffalo populations diminished the Minnesota uprising brings the military in force into the northern plains the gold rush the railroad is coming the Pioneers aren’t stopping you were dealing with an encroachment into the area you cannot stay in business the clan was no longer viable commerce the materials from the original clan were actually taken it was just a field until you find something I was here on an archeological crew in 1968 when archeologists began digging for the remains of the clan Union.
Trading Post state and local groups began digging for money this foundation uncovered by archaeologists this summer that will act as the foundation…many people wanted to reconstruct clan Union the reconstruction that exists here today is the key post on the upper Missouri it’s a story that should not before gotten in American history they could build this culture where there was mutual respect our ancestors dealt here they helped build it we have to have some pride in it Because this is a place that should get people excited about their history you sit and you feel this place you feelthe spirits that are here you feel that fur trade and you can feel it here
