Final answer:
The coureurs de bois acted as middlemen in the fur trade between the Hudson's Bay Company's forts and the First Nations people in the west.
Step-by-step explanation:
The coureurs de bois, or 'runners of the woods,' became middlemen between the British forts of the Hudson's Bay Company along Hudson's Bay and the First Nations people in the west. These French-Canadian fur traders operated independently and often without official license, establishing commerce with local First Nations tribes. They were crucial in the expansion of the fur trade, venturing deep into the wilderness and establishing trade networks that extended to various indigenous communities.