HISTORICAL 23 
The early history of Canada is full of allusions to the 
beaver, for the French, from almost the very beginning of 
the settlement of that region, began the acquisition of 
beaver skins, either by trading with the Indians, or by other 
methods. The Jesuit fathers, in their intercourse with the 
savages, seem to have acquired many skins, and to have had 
much difficulty in disposing of them. The rules of the 
order appear to have prohibited any sort of commerce for 
profit. The company chartered by the king of France had 
the sole right to trade in any sort of furs, and the Jesuits 
were obliged to sell to this company for any price it chose to 
pay. 
' The first parish church of Quebec was built by a contri- 
bution of beaver skins from the governor. The carpet 
around the altar was paid for by beaver skins. 
Beaver skins seem also to have had some symbolical 
significance among the Indians, apart from their ordinary 
uses. In some of the Jesuit accounts mention is made of 
presents of beaver skins being made to different tribes when 
adjusting disputes between them. The value of the skins 
themselves was not great, but the sentiment conveyed by 
them meant much, and served to bind a treaty. 
I have said nothing in regard to the traditions and legends 
of the Indians concerning the beaver. They had many, 
varying with the different tribes. I think most of the 
tribes had legends connecting the beaver in some way with 
the creation of the world. Some tribes possessed the medi- 
cine bundle known as the “‘beaver bundle,” which was sup- 
posed to have supernatural attributes. The individual 
possessors or holders of these bundles had special powers 
due to this ownership. The various Blackfoot tribes seem 
to have set much store by them. 
