Much of the French and Indian War was fought on the British and French frontiers of North America. At the time, little was known of this heavily-forested area to most Europeans and colonists. Because of this, it was important for both sides to have Native American allies.

These Native allies helped their respective sides in a number of ways. They served as scouts, guiding European forces through unknown territories. They also formed raiding parties that could disrupt the supply lines of the enemy. Importantly, they were accustomed to wilderness warfare, something that few European soldiers had experience with. As a result, they proved very helpful when fighting in the dense forests of the frontier.

While the British had Native allies, the French relied on their Native allies more. Many Native peoples were concerned with British expansion. At the start of the conflict, there were 1.5 million English in North America, compared to less than 100,000 French. The French were seen as less of a threat to Indigenous peoples. Therefore, they had the cooperation of many Native peoples, including the massive Confederated Nations of Canada, in confronting the British. The French were eager to get this help as well, as they had a much smaller fighting force than the British.