Before the 19th century, white women were scarce in the Western Territories of what is now know as Canada. This means that European fur traders were likely to marry native women. In Chapter one, Enter the White Man, the author gives information about the two main fur trading companies that operated in the region before merging to become one. The first, The Hudson Bay Company, did not approve of marriages to native women on the grounds of the cost of supporting extra people. On the other hand, the second company, the North-West Company saw the importance of allowing European men to take native wives. The company recognized that men were more likely to be loyal if they could have a family. This proved not to be the only advantage of intermarriage
