Hats, furs and Indigenous traders in a global trade1

The rise of global trade in the aftermath of the Voyages of Exploration brought differing societies and cultures into contact for the first time. This was especially the case for the commercial fur trade in sub-Arctic Canada which brought iron and manufactured products to Native society and furs and pelts much in demand by hatters and felters to Europe for the cosmopolitan trade in hats. Often depicted as subaltern agents, this chapter documents the ways in which taste, preferences and demands of Indigenous actors structured the trade not merely in terms of their cultural practices but more importantly in terms of the prices received for their products. The chapter provides an institutional analysis of the structures used by the Hudson’s Bay Company to manage the classic agency problems of any long-distance trade. It also argues that Native traders must be seen as equal partners in this trade.