Possible LA French or Metis Persona

[Archer]

I reentered the world of muzzleloading a while back after a lengthly absence.  I decided that I wanted a gun like what might have been used by the first Europeans who actually lived in the area I call home.  My research indicated that there were French traders living in the area perhaps as long as 300 years ago.  The Spanish were here first but they didn't stay right away.  So, I ended up with a French fusil replica from R. E. Davis.  I thought I would just use it to hunt with as well as casual target shooting.  Well, you know how it goes, I got to reading more books on the French in North America with most of my interest being on the southern colonies.  I started making gear to go along with my fusil.  I made some leggings and breach clout, moccasins, etc..  Lately I've thought maybe I would do some reenacting.  There used to be a group nearby, Les Coureurs de Bois de la Louisiane, but their forum has been inactive for years.  I believe there are reenactments at some of the French forts in nearby Louisiana from time to time.  I've been trying to make my equipment as HC/PC as possible, using primary documents and period drawings for references.  I've been told that if I'm going to participate in historical reenactments that, "I owe it to myself, my fellow reenactors, and most of all to the viewing public to put forth an accurate interpretation."  Now here's the problem.  I hesitate to try to become involved in reenacting because of a major piece of equipment I've been unable to document, me!  I weigh nearly 300 pounds.  I have recently discovered that this may not be a problem and is common in reenacting.  My problem is I don't know if I would feel comfortable at an event open to the public portraying a common French habitant, trader, or milice member if I couldn't document such a person with primary documentation.  Some may be comfortable doing so but I just don't think I could, not after documenting every other item I'm using.  Help me out here.  Please lead me to some primary documentation concerning obese settlers, traders, habitants, Metis, Indians etc. in the French colonies.  There must be some I'm missing.
Archer

[mario]

I feel your pain. Even though I'm down to 225lbs, and as much as I'd like to be a Ranger or Light Infantryman, my, uh...robustness...is quite a bit more than the average 18th century male.

One thing you can look into is being a tavern-owner. Not rich, but better off than the common farmer. Generally speaking, the pretty well-off guys with access to food and booze were much more likely to be bigger/heavier than the norm.

When I move to GA/SC, that is what my persona will be.

Mario

[Riley/MN]

Yeah, I am in between you guys in size, and have lost some weight. Reenacting was one part of my motivation to do so. Of course, right now I am sporting a flat-top haircut. I don't think that was documented either... Lucky for me that silk scarves were!

At 250-ish, I am often one of the smaller guys in camp. I would not let the weight keep you from doing what we do, but I do admire your desire to justify it.

[cb]

While  a later period, the RMFT era, Etienne Provost, was a major figure in the western fur trade history and was known as the man of the mountains. He was described in the late 1830's as having a corpus as round as a porpoise and was not a fort bound partisan or other employee, but rather a leader of fur brigades during the early 1800's up to his death in 1850. My ancestor, Ole Bill Burrows, sketched by A. J. Miller in 1837, shows a definite pot belly, a still common occurrence amongst the Burrows men once we reach our late 20's.
So while perhaps not common, not all "players" were small nor svelte...