<P> The Métis would establish a whole economic system around the bison trade . Whole Métis families were involved in the production of robes, which was the driving force of the winter hunt . In addition, they sold pemmican at the posts . Unlike Indians, the Métis were dependent on the fur trade system and subject to the market . The international prices of bison robes were directly influential on the well - being of Métis communities . By contrast, the local Indians had a more diverse resource base and were less dependent on Americans and Europeans at this time . </P> <P> By the 1850s the fur trade had expanded across the Great Plains, and the bison robe trade began to decline . The Métis had a role in the depopulation of the bison . Like the Indians, the Métis had a preference for cows, which meant that the bison had trouble maintaining their herds . In addition, flood, drought, early frost, and the environmental impact of settlement posed further threats to the herds . Traders, trappers, and hunters all depended on the bison to sustain their way of life . The Métis tried to maintain their lifestyle through a variety of means . For instance, they often used two wheel carts made from local materials, which meant that they were more mobile than Indians and thus were not dependent on following seasonal hunting patterns . </P> <P> The 1870s brought an end to the bison presence in the Red River area . Métis communities like those at Red River or Turtle Mountain were forced to relocate to Canada and Montana . An area of resettlement was the Judith Basin in Montana, which still had a population of bison surviving in the early 1880s . By the end of decade, however, the bison were gone and Métis hunters relocated back to tribal lands . They wanted to take part in treaty negotiations in the 1880s, but they had questionable status with tribes such as the Chippewa . Many former Métis bison hunters tried to get land claims during the treaty negotiations in 1879 - 1880 . They were reduced to squatting on Indian land during this time and collecting bison bones for $15--20 a ton in order to purchase supplies for the winter . The reservation system did not ensure that the Métis were protected and accepted as Indians . To further complicate matters, Métis had a questionable status as citizens and were often deemed incompetent to give court testimonies and denied the right to vote . The end of the bison robe trade was the end of the fur trade for many Métis . This meant that they had to reestablish their identity and adapt to a new economic world . </P> <P> Modern fur trapping and trading in North America is part of a wider $15 billion global fur industry where wild animal pelts make up only 15 percent of total fur output . </P>

Where was fur trade established by the french