A Legacy of Exploitation: Early Capitalism in the Red River Colony, 1763-1821

The Hudsons Bay Company's "iconic multistripe" point blanket has a history of exploitative relationship with Indigenous producers, as revealed by a critical re-evaluation of the company's first planned settlement at Red River. Susan Dianne Brophy's book "A Legacy of Exploitation" challenges enduring national fantasies about Canada as a nation of bold adventurers by foregrounding Indigenous peoples autonomy as a driving force of change.

Format: Hardback
Length: 298 pages
Publication date: 21 June 2022
Publisher: University of British Columbia Press

A Critical Re-Evaluation of Hudsons Bay Company's "Iconic Multistripe" Point Blanket

In today's world, it is unlikely that buyers of the Hudsons Bay Companys "iconic multistripe" point blanket pause to reflect on the historically exploitative relationship between the company and Indigenous producers. However, this critical re-evaluation of the companys first planned settlement at Red River unveils a hidden history. The Red River Colony, as a settler-colonialist project par excellence, was meticulously crafted to undermine Indigenous peoples troublesome autonomy and enhance control over their labor.

Susan Dianne Brophy's groundbreaking work, "A Legacy of Exploitation," challenges the conventional historical narratives by placing Indigenous peoples autonomy at the forefront of change. Through a comprehensive examination of legal, economic, and geopolitical relations, Brophy demonstrates how autonomy can be distorted and co-opted into processes of dispossession. This book ultimately challenges the enduring national fantasies about Canada as a nation of bold adventurers, shedding light on the complex and often painful realities of its colonial past.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780774866354