▁States . ▁ ▁The ▁waters hed ▁st ret ches ▁to ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁land ▁about ▁ ▁west ▁of ▁Lake ▁Super ior . ▁The ▁W inn ip eg ▁River ▁waters hed ▁was ▁the ▁sout he astern - most ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁granted ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 0 ▁to ▁the ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay ▁Company . ▁The ▁portion ▁in ▁Canada ▁corresponds ▁roughly ▁to ▁the ▁land ▁de eded ▁to ▁Canada ▁in ▁Tre aty ▁ 3 , ▁signed ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁by ▁Her ▁Majesty ' s ▁treat y ▁commission ers ▁and ▁the ▁First ▁Nation ▁chief s ▁at ▁North west ▁Ang le ▁on ▁the ▁Lake ▁of ▁the ▁Wood s . ▁The ▁river ' s ▁name ▁means ▁" m ur ky ▁water " ▁in ▁C ree . ▁ ▁This ▁river ▁route ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁n atives ▁for ▁thousands ▁of ▁years ▁before ▁European ▁contact . ▁French ▁and ▁English ▁colon ists ▁also ▁began ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁river ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁reach ▁First ▁Nations ▁for ▁the ▁fur ▁trade , ▁with ▁trade ▁interactions ▁for ▁hundreds ▁of ▁years . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁major ▁water ▁route ▁between ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Ontario ▁and ▁southern ▁Man it oba ▁that ▁was ▁easily ▁navig able ▁by ▁can oe . ▁The ▁Red ▁River ▁route ▁was ▁much ▁farther ▁south ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁longer ▁port age . ▁La ▁V ér end ry e ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁expl or ers ▁to ▁establish ▁fur ▁trade ▁for ts ▁near ▁the ▁First ▁Nations ▁cam ps ▁along ▁the ▁river . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁W inn ip eg ▁River ▁system ▁through