Where are your Pants? Getting Dressed with a French Canadian Voyageur

We've seen how merchants and British Grenadiers got dressed in the 1770s, but what about some of the most colorful visitors to Michilimackinac? Join our Curator of History Craig Wilson as he walks us through the how and why a French Canadian voyageur dressed the way they did. #thisismackinac #mackinacparks125
For more information: mackinacparks.com

[@mastersul7101]

Not only the French Canadian travelers wear this type of dress, but also the French Canadians of the militia wore this dress, and even civilians, it was comfortable and practical and above all an economic dress, where garments such as moccasins, leggings and breechcloth They were made by Native Americans and exchanged for other objects of interest, instead the pants came from Europe and were more expensive and impractical for hard work, in this sense the English thought very differently from the French, very good contribution.

[@1001CP]

I grew up on my moms old log cabin farm at the tip of the mitt in MI. Her family were original voyageurs from Nova Scotia. She taught us survival fieldcraft and was an an amazing woman who could fish/hunt/trap super well. She grew up with a pet bear. e grew up learning to live in the woods of MI with nothing but our guns/bows/traps and a piece of pastic sometimes for cover otherwise we made small camp enclosures. It was an incredible time growing up with our parents teaching us the old ways that we have taught our children. We did many trip to Mackinaw Island and there is so much history in that area. Thank yiu for a great representation on just the utilitarian clothing style of the early voyageurs. Watching more on the channel!!!.

[@lamar1423]

Gitchi Wegwetch for this. My great Great Grandfather was a voyageur. Our family is from the US side of Lake Superior.

[@crunchfootjim4936]

As I understand it the sash was also worn to avoid a hernia while portaging heavy loads.

[@Steggy0121]

This is so cool. The voyageurs are legendary and an iconic part of Canadian (and although forgotten, American history as well). My dream is to recreate a voyageur canoe trip - minus the cargo!

[@BushScouts]

Fantastic, Merci!

[@Steggy0121]

They also sang in unison to keep time as they rowed. These formed the basis for the French-Canadian folk songs taught in Canadian schools today.

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

They didn't row- they paddled.

[@Steggy0121]

@@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry c’est l’aviron qui le mène qui le mène c’est l’aviron qui le mène en haut

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

@@Steggy0121 On the Georgian Bay we paddle canoes and we row bateaux.

[@Steggy0121]

L’aviron means ‘rowing’

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

@@Steggy0121 Maybe in French the one word applies to both actions, whether it's done with a paddle or an oar, but the distinction between the two actions of rowing and paddling is very clear in English. I've done a lot of both.

[@BeijingCornDealer]

Cool!

[@lusolad]

Very cool.

[@compagnie88]

Verrrry cool! Thx :) From Montreal...

[@gregsurrell598]

Some of my French Canadian ancestors were voyageurs.

[@bigdadynickable]

Can you give me the individual names of all clothing and the shoes

[@tylertheroux4627]

"Some people" all of Canada calls that a toque😆

[@crunchfootjim4936]

@Antoine Levasseur Originally called the toque prior to around 1860's Quebec when it became tuque. The origin seems to have derived from a Spanish-Moorish term tocco

[@TempleofBrendaSong]

That looks like a French Liberty cap or Santa Claus cap

[@squirrelvert]

Mais.... c'est "tuque", pas "toque," n'est-ce pas? Traditionellement. Les anglais-canadiens préfèrent généralement "touque".

[@lae52]

Nice video. A meter of cloth won't even begin to work for a breech cloth. 2 meters will do pretty well though. Otherwise, it's a good video about dress. TLhere doesn't seem to be alot of videos out there about period correct dress.

[@kingericson490]

is that a real tattoo you got for your job?

[@FluffyBuzzard2TheMax]

Why did they wear so much red?

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

I'm going to guess it was the "safety" orange or yellow of the time. If the clothing item went overboard, with or without you wearing it, recovery or rescue would be greatly facilitated by bright clothing that contrasts well against the water. In winter, it would contrast well against the snow while travelling or hunting over land by snowshoe. Vermilion or madder would be used for red pigment at the time.

[@IonIsFalling7217]

The dye was quite cheap, same reason the British forces wore it. Also it's pretty.

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

@@IonIsFalling7217 Yes. Madder is an herb that was plentiful and cheap. In Britain, it began to be used during the Civil War of the 1640's.

[@captbob1494]

Originally Canayen

[@adenmcisaac4920]

Do you mean that's how Canadien was pronounced? How do you know?

[@alexandereagal4016]

Why am I here?

[@donmueggenborg7324]

pretty fancy voyageur

[@kathyscozzari3782]

Please pronounce it breechCLOUT, not breechCLOTH. Thank you!

[@bool.2659]

ok

[@squirrelvert]

Oh, you're an "Outlander" fan? 🤣