ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the Ts’ii Deii era before turning to the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). Beyond the conflicts between Inuit–Gwich’in relations, Gwich’in and Siglit had formed trading partnerships which facilitated the movements of things, ideas, and understandings in being. Events that happened during the Ts’ii Deii era continue to be part of present Gwich’in lives, as are particular aspects of the HBC era. There is an intimate relation among animals, humans, the land, and other beings such as celestial bodies or spirits. Moving from a world where humans and animals were the same to a world where non-Indigenous peoples commenced expanding their trading empire into the North, it addresses how life has unfolded through partnerships, adversaries, and helpers. What becomes apparent in the journal is how Gwich’in and HBC men formed partnerships during hunting excursions and fishing trips. The HBC under John Bell’s experienced tutelage considered these partnerships as instrumental for the success and survival of the post.
