George Nelson's Postings and Employing Companies
1802/1803 Yellow River, Wisconsin, XY Company (XYC)
1803/1804 Lac du Flambeau, Chippewa River, Wisconsin, XYC
1804/1805 Lake Winnipeg / Red River area (no journal), Manitoba, XYC / North West Company (NWC)
1805/1806 Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, NWC
1806/1811 Dauphin River, Manitoba, NWC
1811/1812 Tête au Brochet (Jack Head), Manitoba, NWC
1813/1816 Long Lake, Ontario area, NWC
1818/1819 Tête au Brochet, Manitoba, NWC
1819/1821 Moose Lake, Manitoba, NWC / Hudson's Bay Company (HBC)
1821/1822 Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, HBC
1822/1823 Lake la Ronge, Saskatchewan, HBC
Nelson's experiences and accounts come from his life and work with Ojibwa / Saulteau cultures around Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg and contact in his later career with the Cree of Lake Winnipeg, the Saskatchewan Delta, Cumberland House and Lake la Ronge. He makes reference to the Beaver Indians (Dane-zaa) who, until the nineteenth century, lived as far east as the Slave and Clearwater Rivers bringing them and other Athabaskan cultures into contact with fur trading at Ile à la Crosse, the administrative centre for Nelson's post at Lake la Ronge.
His journal of 1802/1803 was instrumental in leading to the rediscovery of the Folle Avoine posts of the XY Company and North West Company in 1969 by Harris and Frances Palmer with assistance of local residents. Subsequent archaeological work was undertaken and the forts were reconstructed and have been operated as the Forts Folle Avoine Historical Park by the Burnett County Historical Society since 1989. The Society provides tours, displays and programs on the fur trade and aboriginal culture of the area.
Nelson recalled accounts of Ojibwa practices in the Lake Superior area in his 1823 La Ronge journal.