Of Barbarous Coasts and Forbidden Seas

The turn of the 20th century was a period when Inuit lifestyles were dramatically affected. The whaling industry had died down, due to the supply and demand diminishing, and the Inuit had become dependent on European goods while having their own food resources depleted. With the loss of control in the lives of the Inuit, the fox fur trade became pivotal in the north. Trappers came from everywhere and established communities like that of Fort MacPherson (HBC), in 1888, near the Mackenzie River . The Inuit were essential to the industry, hunting and trading many furs. More Europeans came flooding into the north as missionaries, the HBC (Hudson’s Bay Company), hunters and the NWMP (North West Mountain Police). They all interacted with the nearby Inuit people. […] During this period, the Inuit had become increasingly dependent on the new residents of the area. They had grown accustomed to having manufactured goods. Then, in the 1930’s, with the depression, the fur industry collapsed, severely affected the Inuit financially. After the collapse and the poverty that accompanied it, the Inuit had very few alternatives.