Pri: Beaver (ekse Re: skookum)

[Lisa M Peppan]

A "Beaver First Nation" . . . ? <chuckle>

According to _The Empire of the Bay_ by Peter C. Newman (ISBN
014027488-X), in 1785 a club was formed by certain members of the North
West Company.  Its name . . . ?

The Beaver Club.

To quote a portion of Mr Newman's book:

"Despite its astronomical liquor consumption, the Beaver Club was much
more than an urban watering hole.  Here the Nor'Westers could abandon
artificial dignities and re-create those heady times that had given
meaning to their lives.  Because it was only among their own that such
nostalgia was lifted above its more mundane level of providing an excuse
to get drunk and break furniture, membership in the Beaver Club was
limited to fifty-five fur traders who had spent at least one full season
in le pays d'en haunt."  Every two weeks they met at various "prestigious
local dining-rooms" in Montreal.

Sounds like a skookum party to *me*.

Lisa

---Original Message---
On Fri, 7 Apr 2000 "Alan H. Hartley" <ahartley at D.UMN.EDU> writes:
> It appears to be "Beaver First Nation".