1500-1700

Foreign explorers continue to make their way to North America. The British reach both the east and west coasts of what is now Canada, but focus on the east and its furs, where the French are making a great effort to exert jurisdiction. The French have been exploring the St. Lawrence River for some time and New France has been founded. Foreign wars are carried over to the colonies in attempt to gain control over these new lands.

Both the French and British are enlisting the eastern tribes as military aides. They are also being used as harvesters for furs in the fight to establish the Colonies.

The concept of foreign commerce is still not understood by many of the First Nations, but their skill and knowledge in accessing the resources of their traditional territories is unchallenged. The involvement of the local First Nations is of utmost importance in the expansion of the fur trade and in the fight by foreign governments to exert jurisdiction. The fur trade promoted settlement from the East Coast westward.