When being taught about the war of 1812, we focus primarily on the perspective of the British and Americans. But does anybody ever stop to think about what this war would have looked like for the First Nations people of Canada?
In this blogpost, I will highlight what I think the First Nations point of view would have looked like during the time of the war of 1812. I will also share what I believe their feelings and opinions towards the battles would have been, and how they benefitted form partaking in the war.
Going into the battles that made up the war of 1812, the First Nations people wisely sided with the British who were fighting to keep the land that is now Canada, safe and in their possession. Both the First Nations and the British wanted to keep the Americans from expanding up into what’s now modern day Canada. The First Nations people wanted to keep the Americans from taking over their ancestral land. In order to keep this land protected, more than 10000 First Nations warriors help to fight in almost every major battle, during the war of 1812. Not only did the First Nations increase the British’s army sizes, but they also offered exceptional fighting abilities. As a First Nations person, I would feel very honoured to be able to offer so much to the British army. It would make me fight with pride knowing that my contribution was making a big difference in protecting my ancestors lands.
There were three main areas that the war was fought on: the Western Great Lakes region, the Niagara region and the St. Lawrence region. In all three of these places, First Nations warriors helped to keep the American warriors from invading, and taking over the land. I imagine the First Nations saw this as a very important job, as the work they were doing was helping to keep their ancestral lands protected from being over taken.
The First Nations played a very key part in the victory at the Battle of Detroit. If it hadn’t been for the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh, and his great deception and bluffing techniques, the outcome of the Battle of Detroit may have been very different. Even thought the British went into the fight with less men, they were able to use strategic planning and deception methods to trick the Americans into surrendering. Once again, as a First Nations person, I would take much pride in the fact that it was because of not only our great efforts that the Battle was won, but also our traditions and practices that played a huge part in the British victory.
Overall, I think that the First Nations people fought the battles involved in the war of 1812 with a lot of heart and a lot of drive. This drive came not only from the fact that they were protecting their ancestral land, but that they were also protecting their ties with the British.
These ties with the British helped to provide them with jobs and equipment they wouldn’t otherwise have. If it wasn’t for the British people living in “Canada” the fur trade would not have existed. And to the First Nations people the fur trade was very important, as it provided many of them with a source of income. They were able to trade the pelts and furs they hunted for valuable things that they needed. This included things like pots, pans, weapons, metals... So by fighting along side the British, they helped to not only keep the fur trade alive, but also strengthen their ties with the British, and keep their ancestral land safe and out of the hands of the Americans.
1812 The War That Saved Canada(2012)Uploaded By: Canadian War Museum.
Available online at: https://legionmagazine.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/1812Lead.jpg
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