
For most people, economic
empowerment means having enough
money to meet their needs-- and a little
extra for the special things they want.

Another term for this is ECONOMIC
SECURITY.

Throughout time, every society in the
world has had some kind of economic
system.

The main purpose of an economic
system is to answer these questions:
1. What goods and services do people
need and want?
2.
How can we produce these goods and
services?
3.
How will we distribute them?
The way people answer these questions
depends on the technologies they use.
Two categories of economies:
a. PRE-INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY- Do NOT use
manufacturing technologies to produce
goods for sale.

b. INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY- USE
manufacturing technologies to produce
goods for sale.

The first industrial economies started in
Europe in the late 1700s.

Industry is now part of economies in most
regions of the world.
3 Groups of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada
Today
1. First Nations: are the First Peoples of
Canada. There are many First Nations
including the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Passamaquoddy, and Innu of the
Atlantic region.
2.
The Inuit: the First Peoples of the region
north of the tree line (where it is too cold
for trees to grow) and in parts of what
are now Quebec and Labrador. Two
examples of Inuit are Quebec Inuit and
Labrador Inuit.
3.
The first Métis: were the children of
either Inuit or First Nations women and
European traders. The Métis today are
descendants of these people, or they may
define themselves as Métis because of
their distinct culture and traditions.
NEEDS AND WANTS
In the past, First Nations and Inuit
depended on the land and natural
resources for survival.

Therefore, the economy of each nation
was based on the natural resources
available in the region.
--For example, since trees cannot grow in
the far north, Inuit built winter homes
using blocks of snow or whale bones,
stone, and sod.
New Brunswick- Important Natural
Resources at the Time of First Contact
a.
b.
c.
d.
birch
deer
caribou
river and ocean fish
*** **Moose were also important in the
Atlantic region, except on
Newfoundland and Labrador. Moose
did not live there until the early 20th
century.*** **

First Nations and Inuit made the goods
they needed with their hands using
mostly stone and bone tools.

People usually travelled during the year
to harvest or hunt resources as they
became available

Everyone usually worked together, but
men and women often did different jobs.
Men- hunt Women- prepare meat
and hides.
A PART OF NATURE
They believe that people are part of a
natural system that includes the land,
water, plants, and animals.

The land and natural resources are seen
as the source of life and must be used
wisely to ensure the survival of future
generations.

An important part of the traditional
production of goods would often be
prayers and other ceremonies to show
respect and give thanks for resources.

In most First Nations and Inuit
communities, everyone helped with
production, and everyone shared
equally in what was produced.

People did what they could to help one
another.

In some regions, nations had boundaries
of their territories and defended their
lands from other nations.

In other regions, people from different
nations freely moved back and forth
over the same areas.

They also had trade networks.
NO ONE OWNED THE LAND
First Nations and Inuit did NOT have a
tradition of private ownership- the idea
that one person has complete control
over an area of land.

Europeans came to North America in the
1500’s.

NEEDS

Why did Europeans come to North
America?

1. wanted to own more land- Private land
ownership is a very important idea in
European cultures.

2. to spread their culture and religion
around the world.

3. looking for ways to gain wealth.
4. looking for natural resources, such as,
timber, furs, seal oil and pelts, and
minerals, to sell back in Europe.
Fish 1st resource to attract Europeans
to N.A.
-Millions of codfish around Newfoundland
and Labrador.
-Important part of European diet because
of religious beliefs. (sometimes could eat
only fish)
-Sent cod back to markets in Europe.
English fisherman fished in the summer
and returned to Europe in the fall.
1.
-Eventually fishermen began to stay and
settle in N.A. creating their own fishing
industry-1700s.
2.
Furs 
-
Beaver pelts wanted in Europe for making hats.
-
Europeans traded goods (blankets and guns) for
furs.
Many First Nations peoples already had trade
systems, so the Europeans became part of these
systems.
-
-
high quality furs in N.A.
Like the fishers, fur traders first came only in the
summer, but they gradually stayed and settled.
3.
-
Timber By the time Europeans came
to N.A. most of the trees in Europe were
cut down.
The lumber in N.A. was valuable to
Europeans for shipbuilding.
Later, many Europeans settled in N.A.
because of its forests.

Europeans made things by hand using
simple metal tools until the 1700’s.

Even after factories began in the 1700’s,
many objects were still made by hand.

Some goods were made by people who
specialized in one area / trade
(blacksmith-metalwork).

In larger towns and cities, people could
buy what they needed from many
workshops- bakers, dressmakers,
shoemakers, etc.

In the countryside, farm people often
produced more of their own goods. For
ex. sheep’s fleece was spun into wool,
then wove into cloth.

These skills were helpful to Europeans
when they arrived in N.A.

The early settlers had to do everything for
themselves.

They hoped to eventually build towns
and cities like the ones in Europe.
-The main goal for most Europeans was to
work to benefit themselves and their
families. (Make a profit for themselves)
-
Goods and services were distributed
through markets. ( buying and selling
with money)

When European settlers came to North
America they had to use what they
brought with them, could make for
themselves, or trade.

There were few markets where they
could buy what they needed or sell
products.

The European settlers hoped to
eventually set up the same kind of
market system that was used in Europe.

Contact- refers to the time when
Europeans first came to North America.
Early Contact in the Maritimes
-First Nations were willing to see what the
Europeans were all about when they first
arrived in the Maritimes.
-The Europeans needed the help of First
Nations to survive in NA.
-Both groups realized that there were some
good economic opportunities.
-The Europeans wanted furs and the First
Nations peoples wanted trade goods
such as metal knives and pots.

This was the beginning of the fur trade.
Treaties
Treaty- is an agreement between two or
more nations. A treaty may be made to
settle a war or agree on economic
issues. A treaty sets out the nations’
rights and responsibilities and is meant to
be honored and respected.

-There were conflicts between the FN
and E since Contact.

There were conflicts between the French
and English who wanted to trade and
settle in North America.

1700s- Great Britain had the most power
in Atlantic Canada.

Great Britain and First Nations believed
that treaties would help them get along.

Great Britain believed the treaties would
make sure that First Nations would side
with Britain in conflicts with France.

First Nations believed the treaties would
ensure peace and allow them to
maintain their way of life.

Before treaties were signed there were
already problems caused by British
settlers taking over First Nations territories.
First Nations hoped treaties would resolve
these problems.

1717-1779 Great Britain and FN made
many treaties called the Covenant
Chain of Treaties and Treaties of Peace
and Friendship.

The main idea of the treaties was the FN
agreed to act peacefully toward the
British, and the British agreed to respect
First Nations rights.

FN did not agree to give up land or
natural resources to Britain.

Today, these treaties are still in force and
apply to the Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy,
and Maliseet of the Maritimes.
Effects of the Fur Trade
FN economies changed because of the fur
trade.

Before the fur trade, FN spent parts of the
year hunting animals and parts of the
year fishing.

With the fur trade, people began to
spend more time hunting for fur-bearing
animals such as fox and beaver.

These pelts were highly valued by the
Europeans.

This resulted in the FN not hunting and
fishing as much to meet their own needs.

Therefore they had to use more
European goods such as flour and cloth.

It was a kind of cycle: they hunted for
furs so that they could get trade goods,
and they needed trade goods because
they were hunting for furs.

The economic system created by the fur
trade could NOT go on forever because
eventually the animal population would
become so low that FN could not get
enough furs to trade for the things they
needed

The European fur-traders would then
move westward where there were still
plenty of fur-bearing animals.

This left the FN with serious problems of
how to meet their most basic needs.

It was NOT easy to go back to their
traditional fishing and hunting because
the European settlement was making it
impossible.

When Europeans began arriving the FN
did not see this as a problem at first
because they were used to sharing the
land.

However, the European idea of private
ownership did not mix well with the
traditional economies of the FN.

As the Europeans cut down forests and
fenced lands for farming and ranching
there were fewer areas that were good
for hunting.

As roads and towns were built, the
Europeans began taking over rivers,
lakes, and oceanfront areas that
provided important food sources.

The Europeans did NOT share the land!
They were keeping more and more of it
for themselves.

This is NOT what FN had expected when
they agreed to treaties.

Another problem was that most
European settlers believed their
economic, political, and cultural ideas
were superior to the First Nations ideas.

Most Europeans thought First Nations
peoples would:
Die out
Learn to become more like the
Europeans
1.
2.
3.
Or just go someplace else.
- In the meantime, they didn’t let the
Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, or Maliseet
take part in the new economy that was
developing.