The La Vérendryes: Family of Explorers

La Vérendrye's Sons

In 1735, a group including La Vérendrye's son, Jean-Baptiste, was attacked by Sioux warriors and massacred on an island in Lake of the Woods. His other sons, Louis-Joseph and François, kept exploring westward, and are credited as being the first non-Native men to see the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.

La Vérendrye's sons on the Prairies Copyright/Source

What's a Father to Do?
La Vérendrye wanted to trade with the Cree. They named a high price. They would trade if he would agree to send his son Jean-Baptiste to fight in a war party. A tough decision, but he finally agreed. Jean-Baptiste did return safely, only to be killed two years later in a revenge attack by the Sioux.