Final answer:
The first French explorers to the New World were unable to establish a permanent colony due to resistance from the native peoples. Relations between the French and the Indigenous populations in Canada became strained over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first French explorers to the New World were unable to establish a permanent colony because they encountered resistance from the native peoples, option b. The Indigenous populations in Canada, such as the Algonquian people, initially tolerated the French because the colonists supplied them with firearms. However, over time, relations between the French and the Indigenous peoples became strained due to conflicting interests and cultural differences.