Charlotte Small Thompson (1785-1857) National Historic Person

Charlotte Small Thompson was designated as a national historic person in 2008.

Historical importance: representative of the many Indigenous women who formed significant partnerships with fur traders during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Commemorative plaque: Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site of Canada, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta^{Footnote 1}

Charlotte Small Thompson (1785–1857)

Capably assisting her husband, renowned explorer David Thompson, Charlotte Small travelled thousands of kilometres across North America by foot, canoe, and horseback, helping to map its extensive lands and waterways. Daughter of a Scottish North West Company trader and a Cree mother, she married young, had thirteen children, and retired to Montréal, far from her roots, all while maintaining a remarkable 57-year marriage. Small exemplifies the many Aboriginal women who shared their lives with fur traders, bringing their knowledge of language, culture, and survival skills to 18th- and 19th-century trade and exploration.