The federal government created a series of garrisons, such as Fort William H. Seward, to maintain order in the territory. The gold rush also affected Alaska Natives. In Southeast, the Tlingit and the First Nations groups in Canada had a long-standing tradition of trade. The Tlingit brokered goods between the fur companies and the First Nations of the Canadian Interior. After the gold strike, fur companies went farther into the Interior to establish posts which cut off the trade relationship between the Tlingit and the First Nations.