News and Reflections: "The arrow belt at the crossroads of desires of the French Canadian, Native American and Métis communities of Canada" -- April 15, 2024

Simard, François, and Louis-Pascal Rousseau. 2004. “The Arrow Belt at the Crossroads of the Desires of the French-Canadian, Native American and Métis Communities of Canada”. Material Culture Review 59 (1). https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17973.

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From the article's summary:

The historical and current uses of the arrowhead sash and the debate surrounding its origins show that it has been prized by many different groups in Canada. Historically French Canadians, aboriginal peoples, and Métis have claimed the sash as theirs and used it to indicate social standing, particularly in the context of the fur trade. Today, it is part of the cultural legacy of each of these communities. Research into material culture has long maintained that we can understand the significance that groups attach to an object simply by tracing its history. This article takes a different approach by exploring the idea that we can understand the significance specific groups attach to certain objects by studying the inherent physical characteristics, as indicated by the history of the arrowhead sash.