Between May 27 and June 9, 1603, diplomatic meetings at the mouth of the Saguenay River laid the foundation for a network of alliances that would play a defining role in the history of New France. Montagnais (Innu), Algonquins (Anicinabek), and Etchemins (Maliseet) sealed an initial alliance with France that enabled the French to settle in the Québec region in exchange for a promise of economic relations and military assistance against the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). Signalling a new direction in French policy, this pact fostered the development of the fur trade and the establishment of a permanent colony in Canada. For the Aboriginal communities, it marked the beginning of vast changes to their cultures and territories.