Colin Robertson was in Montreal where he was recruiting men for the Red River Colony. He wrote in his journals about how the North West Company attempted to undermine his progress. The details are important to and explain the struggle of the Colony but I was interested in learning about the character of this man and the evidence his journal notes might give me and how he responded to difficulties and what his perceptions of people were. I was able to glean some idea of the man.

William Sinclair returned to Scotland to tend to his declining health. I turned my attention to Colin Robertson's personal journals to learn more about the man who extended a great kindness to Nahoway, a kindness that kept his name linked to Nahoway's family tree for generations to come.

Settlers began arriving from the Scottish Highlands and Ireland to make their way to what would become the Red River Colony.

Nahoway and William had seven children during their time at Oxford House, in addition to the four they already had. 

Oxford House post, built in 1798, was the home where William and Nahoway lived together the longest, raising their family. 

William Sinclair returned to York Factory in 1783 as servant to Humphrey Marten Chief of York Factory where he met Nahoway and their life together was taking shape.

We can't examine the details of life during the fur trade without considering the impact of smallpox on Indigenous people.

William Sinclair is my great-great-great-great grandfather, married to Nahoway. He signed on with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1782 and sailed to York Factory from Orkney aboard the King George, to begin his contract as servant to Humphrey Marten. The French had other plans. 

Who were the Churchill Home Guard and what role did they play at Fort Prince of Wales during the fur trade?

Examining Victor Lytwyn's book, Original People of the Great Swampy Land, published by the University of Manitoba Press in 2008. Lytwyn's purpose for writing this book was, in his words, to "challenge many stereotypical views of the Lowland Cree in the previous literature".