Describe the impact that the fur trade era had on Native Americans.

Native American peoples living in proximity to the Atlantic coast were involved in the fur trade with English, French, and Dutch merchants and settlers starting in the late sixteenth century. Participation in the fur trade transformed Native American societies profoundly. Many of these societies had previously been communal and mostly horticultural. The growth of trade increased the role of hunting and led communities to fragment into smaller family units as the concepts of private property and individualism began to emerge.
Prior to the beginning of the fur trade, Native Americans hunted for food and to satisfy their immediate needs, such as for clothing and shelter. This practice that limited the killing of animals allowed the animal population to renew itself. Once the fur trade began, people hunted for money. This was not as sustainable; fur animals were gradually destroyed so that Native Americans had to move deeper inland in search of new hunting grounds.
The fur trade also exacerbated conflicts among various Native American peoples. For example, the Iroquois, who did not have enough beavers in their territory but had access to an ample supply of firearms from British merchants, defeated the Huron Nation to the north and moved to occupy their land.
The growth of hunting also led to changes in gender relations within Native American societies. Most hunters and warriors were male, and the fur trade enhanced their political roles. At the same time, it caused these societies to become more competitive, fragmented, and unstable.
It also increased the dependence of Native American societies on the white settlers and officials who bought their furs and controlled the supply of firearms, gunpowder, and goods to their communities.