Description

This single-pointed file with a half-round cross-section (also known as cabinet style) was recovered from the French River (Grand Parisien Rapids) in 1962. It displays a maker's mark with a stamped crown or "fleur-de-lys" turned sideways, followed by the letters "CAN".  The current interpretation for these objects is that they sank to the bottom of the river during canoe accidents. In the fur trade context, such items were both used by fur traders, and traded to Indigenous individuals and communities in exchange for furs and food.