The alliance between Canadien people and Native people would form an empire thatwould eventually cover half of North America. However, this same alliance wouldeventually lead to it's downfall.
The Native people of North America made life easier for the Europeans that settled there. Without their help, many would have died of scurvy. They would teach themhow to live in the forest, trap animals, fish, and live with very little.[1] Theywould also teach them how to travel through the usage of the canoe. They wouldalso introduce to them corn, pumpkin, tomatos, and string beans. The commerce of fursfrom various animals, especially the beaver, would help develop their friendship andpave the way to the interior of the continent to the Europeans.
     |
When Jacques Cartier discovered Canada, he would encounter the Iroquois.It was because of their naming of their homes Kanata that Cartier would laterplace the name of Canada on his maps. However, during his second trip, Cartierinvited their chief Donnacona and thirty four other natives to his boat and theyset sail for France. All died except one, so that his third trip created tensions with the Iroquois. It would take sixty years before the French would come backto Canada. This time, it would be Samuel de Champlain who would meet the Native people.They would be of a different nation this time, that of the Algonquins. From themhe would learn of the word Képec or Kébec. Some say Képec meant to come ashore, otherssay Kébec meant where the river narrows. So Québec was founded and this time, therelationship between the two people would be more hospitable. This new alliance wouldinvite Champlain to take sides between the Algonquins and their allies on one side andthe Iroquois on the other. It was near Lake Champlain that the two parties wouldmeet, and from then on, the two would become enemies. The Iroquois at first would side with the Dutch and then with the British.
The alliance with the Algonquins meant that the French, who would later become Canadiens, could now travel further into the interior of the continent for furs and the voyageurs would cement this friendship. Father Marquette and Louis Jolliet would discover the Mississippi, thanks to the Illinois people.René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle would build several forts to fortify the tradebetween the two people. Lasalle would eventually found Louisiana in honor of the Kingof France.