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Trade between Aboriginal and European peoples at the beginning of the eighteenth century on the shores of Hudson Bay was guided by elaborate ceremonial protocols and diplomacy before, during, and after transactions. The protocols became routine and recognized by Hudson's Bay Company traders as 'customs of the country'. Over a century later, many Aboriginal nations who participated in the fur trade in what became the Canadian Northwest signed treaties with the Dominion of Canada. In both substance and process, these treaties bore a remarkable resemblance to the trading protocols. This paper considers the trading protocols in the eighteenth century as an example of intercultural normativity. This realm of normativity involved enough shared intention and understanding to permit trading to carry on and expand, but deeper misunderstandings persisted. Focussing on the role of Cree and Hudson's Bay Company leaders and on the rhetoric that accompanied their interactions, this paper explores the points of convergence and divergence in the normative framework that emerged in the eighteenth century. It will then reflect on the treaties signed at the end of the next century and suggest a number of potential connections between the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]