Selkirk Settlement / Creation of Manitoba (1811 - 1870)

Excerpt of the Pemmican Proclamation, 1814

This proclamation was a leading cause of Métis sentiment against new white settlers in the Red River region, and it precipitated the 1815 failure of the settlement. It also contributed to the rivalry between the Hudson's Bay Company and North West Company.

Document Summary:

Nobody living in the area of the Red River Settlement - including those involved with the fur trade - was to take any food provisions outside of the territory for a period of one year. There was an exception made to this proclamation regarding food deemed necessary for the continued success of trading activities. However, traders would now have to obtain a special license to take food derived from animals, grain and vegetables out of the region.