The peace medals given to the natives in Canada by the representatives of both French and British colonial powers bear material witness to the alliances that the foundations of the country were based on. If France was able to extend its influence over such a large territory in America, then this was necessarily thanks to a vast network of military, diplomatic and commercial alliances which were developed and maintained with native nations that had been present on the continent for centuries. The French colonial authorities distributed dozens, if not hundreds of medals, from the 17th century until the final years of the French regime, during various events that consolidated their links with some of these nations.