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Different Perspectives:
The Seven Oaks Incident

An activity for use with the Pioneers and Immigrants section
of the Canada in the Making site

 

Teacher Guide

On June 19, 1816, a group of sixty Métis led by Cuthbert Grant met a party of about 20 men led by Robert Semple, the new administrator of the Red River Colony. A battle between the two groups soon broke out, resulting in the death of 21 in Semple’s party and one Métis. The antagonism leading to this battle was rooted in years of conflict between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company – and in the investigation that followed, government officials had the difficult task of separating fact from the biased reports given to them by either side. This activity allows students to read several primary source documents from the Early Canadiana Online database to study bias and perspective relative to these events.

Subject/Grade Level
Social Studies/History
Ages 15 and up

Overview
This is an activity requiring students to examine primary source documents related to the Seven Oaks incident and draw conclusions about the reliability of primary source testimony and the importance of considering different perspectives. If there is time, students may also have the opportunity to examine the Coltman report of 1818, widely credited as a balanced and accurate investigation of the events. Students could work together to extract the main points of the report.

Research for this essay should require one to two hour-long sessions online, unless the teacher has prepared the documents beforehand. The work will require two hour-long sessions. Note that the sources used in ECO can be printed from the browser and then photocopied.

Outcomes (WCP, APEF), Expectations (ON), Objectives (QC)
Table of Curricular Relevance by Course and Province
Alberta
British Columbia and Yukon Territory
Manitoba
Ontario
Saskatchewan
APEF
WCP

Materials/Resources Required

  • Computers with Internet access.

  • Student Work Sheet

  • Suggested Assessment Criteria

  • Document pages from Early Canadian Online: Papers relating to the Red River Settlement, at URL: http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/ItemRecord/18595

  • You will need pages 54-61 and 128-132 for the main part of this activity. It is strongly recommended that you download the PDF copies of these pages and print them beforehand, as this can be time consuming.

  • Coltman’s report can be found from pages 152-250. These can be ordered as a block from CIHM (see the link at the bottom of the document page); delivery takes about half a day.

Links

Previous Knowledge
Students will need

  • An understanding of Web navigation symbols, tools and terminology, particularly the tools used in ECO

  • Familiarity with research and essay writing skills

  • Some knowledge of the history of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company. These can be explored at the following sites:

 

Lesson Opener

Review the history of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company, if necessary. The sites listed above may help.

Discuss with students the meaning of bias, with examples. Ask:

  • Why do people have bias? How can we tell if someone’s narrative or point of view is biased?

  • Is bias inherently bad? Why or why not?

Explore examples of different perspectives. For example:

  • German feelings about the outcome of World War I in the 1920s and 1930s.

  • The attitudes of ruler and ruled in European colonies in Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries.

  • The attitudes toward the land of Europeans in North America and those of First Nations peoples.

Procedure

Step 1
Have students review the page “Using Primary Sources in Your Work”.
URL: http://www.canadiana.org/citm/guide/essay_e.html

Step 2
Hand out Student Work Sheets and introduce students to the ECO Canada In the Making Web site. Read the assignment and discuss.

Step 3
Assign groups to each document. Students should read the document quietly first, and then come together to discuss.

Step 4
Students should come together to share what they have discussed about the documents. Comments should be made about:

  • The authors.

  • Bias: Whose side was each author on?

  • Parts of the letters that suggest the necessity to examine the background to the events more thoroughly.

  • Missing perspectives (e.g.: Métis, First Nations).

Step 5
Students should then research the events surrounding the documents. Key questions to be answered include:

  • What do historians now accept as the true events that took place on June 19, 1816 at Seven Oaks?

  • Who were the key personalities involved?

  • What were the events that contributed to this conflict?

  • What were the main arguments that each side used to support its claim (e.g.: the Red River Settlement was illegal, the North West Company was trespassing on land granted in the Proclamation of 1763)

  • Who, if anyone, was more to blame? Why or why not?

  • What was the ultimate outcome of the conflict between the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company?

  • What were the impacts on Métis and First Nations peoples?

Students should also give their opinions on why they think the Métis and First Nations peoples were not considered as equal voices in the conflict. Two examples might include:

  • The matter was considered to be a legal issue between two European companies.

  • The matter of land ownership by First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples was not considered.

Step 6
Groups present their findings to the class in oral format, or in the form of a large poster.

Summary

Discuss: What must a historian do to ensure that the sources he or she uses are accurate and unbiased? What steps should be taken?


Evaluation

See the Suggested Assessment Criteria.


Homework/Extension

Students could hold a debate, taking the sides of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the North West Company, the Métis or First Nations peoples.

Students can also examine Coltman’s 1818 report, perhaps by dividing it into groups. Does it seem accurate and balanced? Who does it favour? Students could identify passages to support their arguments.

More information on Coltman and his report can be found in:

 

 

Different Perspectives:
The Seven Oaks Incident

An activity using the
Canada in the Making site

Student Work Sheet

On June 19, 1816, a group of sixty Métis led by Cuthbert Grant met a party of about 20 men led by Robert Semple, the new administrator of the Red River Colony. A battle between the two groups soon broke out, resulting in the death of 21 in Semple’s party and one Métis. The antagonism leading to this battle was rooted in years of conflict between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company – and in the investigation that followed, government officials had the difficult task of separating fact from the biased reports given to them by either side. This activity allows you to read several primary source documents from the Early Canadiana Online database to study bias and perspective relative to these events.

Notes on Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources

Primary sources represent the most authentic resources that historians can draw upon. The documents that you will be using below may be digitized, but are still considered primary sources. But they are not without their problems: bias and perspective can change the way an author, artist or even photographer depicts events.

It is the job of the historian to review many primary sources with different perspectives whenever possible. Determination what the truth is can be a tricky business, and it should be no surprise that different historians can come to different conclusions. Ultimately, what the historian presents must be supported by evidence

Review the “Using Primary Sources in Your Work” page for more information.

Secondary sources

Secondary sources are works that interpret or analyze an historical event or phenomenon. Generally the author is at least one step removed from the event. Although not as authentic as primary sources, secondary sources are still valuable. For example, they can:

  • Provide a good starting place for an investigation.

  • Show what primary sources the author used.

  • Suggest new avenues for investigation.

  • Show the historical perspective of different periods after the events.

Step 1: Reviewing Primary Sources on the Seven Oaks Incident

You will be reviewing two letters contained in the book, Pages from Papers relating to the Red River Settlement. These can be accessed at http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/ItemRecord/18595.

You will need pages 54-61 and 128-132 for the main part of this activity. Your teacher may assign you to read one document or another.

First, read the letter carefully and by yourself. Feel free to make notes or marks on the pages to help your thinking as you go. Consider the following questions as you read:

  • Who are the authors?

  • What is the letter about?

  • Whose side was each author on, the North West Company, the Hudson’s Bay Company, or neither?

  • What parts of the letters suggest the necessity to examine the background to the events more thoroughly?

  • Are their any missing perspectives in these letters – peoples whose views should be considered as well?

Come together in your group to share your ideas. Choose someone to take notes and to be your spokesperson, if necessary.

Step 2: Digging Deeper

As a group, research the events surrounding the documents. Key questions to be answered include:

  • What do historians now accept as the true events that took place on June 19, 1816, at Seven Oaks?

  • Who were the key personalities involved? Prepare a brief biography for each.

  • What were the events that contributed to this conflict?

  • What were the main arguments that each side used to support its claim?

  • Who, if anyone, was more to blame? Why or why not?

  • What was the ultimate outcome of the conflict between the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company?

  • What were the impacts on Métis and First Nations peoples?

Come to a conclusion on reasons why the perspectives of First Nations and Métis peoples were not considered as seriously as the officials of the companies in conflict.

Step 3: Present Your Findings

Present your findings to the class in the manner required by your teacher. Use supporting evidence from primary and secondary source documents, wherever possible.

Possible Sources of Information Online

Note: It is important to choose online sources that are produced by reputable institutions or individuals. Such information is more likely to give you a balanced, neutral view and be prepared or reviewed by experts.

General

Canada in the Making
URL: http://www.canadiana.org/citm/

The Canadian Encyclopedia
URL: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com

The Library and Archives of Canada: Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
URL: http://www.biographi.ca/

Early Canadiana Online
URL: http://www.canadiana.org/ECO

History of Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company

Exploration, the Fur Trade and Hudson’s Bay Company (CIHM)
(URL: http://www.canadiana.org/hbc/)

Our History (Hudson’s Bay Company)
(URL: http://www.hbc.com/hbc/e_hi/default.htm)

Canadian Encyclopedia Online (Historica)
(URL: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/)

History of the West

The Library and Archives of Canada: The Canadian West
(URL: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/05/0529/052910/ 05291008_e.html)


Different Perspectives:
The Seven Oaks Incident
Suggested Rubric

Program Area: Social Studies, History, Canadian Studies
Criterion: Understanding Concepts
Attainment Descriptors:

  • Prepared information for the presentation demonstrates an understanding of the different perspectives surrounding the Seven Oaks incident.

  • Prepared information for the presentation demonstrates an understanding of the implications of the events on the history of Canada.

  • Prepared information for the presentation demonstrates an understanding of the implications of the events and documents on different groups, including European immigrants to the West and First Nations and Métis peoples.

Program Area: Social Studies, History, Canadian Studies
Criterion: Research Methods
Attainment Descriptor:

  • Reads and demonstrates an understanding of texts from various time periods.

  • Locates, gathers and organizes research materials from the Canada in the Making Web site and other sources.

  • Organizes research findings using a variety of methods and forms.

  • Arguments expressed in the presentation are supported by clearly communicated evidence from the Canada in the Making Web site and other sources.

Program Area: Social Studies, History, Canadian Studies
Criterion: Analysis
Attainment Descriptor:

  • Critically analyzes and evaluates historical information from primary and secondary sources for bias, prejudice, stereotyping or a lack of substantiation

  • Draws conclusions based on the effective evaluation of sources, analysis of information and awareness of diverse historical interpretations.

Program Area: Social Studies, History, Canadian Studies
Criterion: Communication
Attainment Descriptor:

  • Expresses ideas, opinions, and conclusions clearly, articulately, and in a manner that respects the opinions of others.

Program Area: Language
Criterion: Oral and visual communication
Attainment Descriptor:

  • Speaks clearly and uses appropriate variety in volume, rate, tone and pitch, pause, stress and emphasis, inflection, fluency.

  • Uses a variety of media and presentation methods in order to make the presentation engaging (e.g.: posters, images, audio, role playing, PowerPoint presentation).

Program Area: General
Criterion: Cooperative Group Work
Attainment Descriptor:

  • Demonstrates an ability to think creatively in reaching conclusions about both assigned questions and issues and those conceived independently.

  • Uses a variety of time-management strategies effectively.

  • Demonstrates an ability to work independently and collaboratively and to seek and respect the opinions of others.
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