Details:
Nikki Rajala, a retired English teacher and author of several historical fiction books about the voyageurs, will be giving a presentation on Women in the Fur Trade (There were some?) at the Morrison County Historical Society’s annual meeting on Thursday, September 25, at Holy Family Parish Hall in Belle Prairie. The meeting will begin with a social at 6 pm, followed by a brief MCHS business meeting at 6:30, and then Ms. Rajala’s presentation. Nikki’s ancestry contains French-Canadian voyageurs, and she has been blogging and writing about the life of the voyageurs in Minnesota and Canada for many years now. Many folks believe that the fur trade was entirely male, because it took great strength and stamina to paddle long hours or portage loads up to 180 pounds. Surprise! In the background, were thousands of women who made enormous contributions to the industry. Without the remarkable skills of native American women, like Thanadelthur and Magdelaine LaFramboise, the fur trade would not have been successful. Come join us on September 25th at Belle Prairie, a place that was first settled by many former voyageurs long ago, to hear about these women in the fur trade who can continue to inspire us with their remarkable stories of creativity and generosity, and also their just plain grit and perseverance. MCHS will serve refreshments to honor the 50th anniversary of the Weyerhaeuser Museum of Morrison County.
