The ancient custom of fathers paying dowries is spread in many cultures. Native northern Americans were no strangers to that. In a situation where a father would receive goods instead of paying, the father would rather perform the cultural exchange. The exact same thing happened in South America when the Portuguese claimed Brazil, with the added bonus of cathechism and solidifying native-European alliances with hostile tribes like the Botocudos, or Xocleng (cannibals). Tupi-Guaranis were the biggest tribal confederation to do that, and its why Silva and Silveira are so common surnames there (means "from the forest" in Latin)