Kind of along with the fortified trading posts is the thought about a level of forts to mirror Ft. George and many of the other wood and palisade frontier forts that existed in the colonial world. These forts have no value against cannon but against natives who lack such weapons they could be terribly effective. They are cheap compared to European style forts and would present a way to defned your settlements from being masscred by natives unless you station a force of regulars in the aera. FRankly, trading posts could be housed in such forts as well and prevent those little hiccups as well.