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According to Statistics Canada, "Indigenous group refers to whether the person is First Nations (North American Indian), Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit). A person may be included in more than one of these three specific groups. Aboriginal peoples of Canada (referred to here as Indigenous peoples) are defined in the Constitution Act, 1982, Section 35 (2) as including Indian, Inuit, and Métis peoples. First Nations (North American Indian) includes Status and non-Status Indians."

I believe this site meets the criteria because it's Statistics Canada and I would hope that the government wouldn't lie about things.

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Status: This standard was approved as a departmental standard on April 1, 2021.

Definition

Indigenous group refers to whether the person is First Nations (North American Indian), Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit). A person may be included in more than one of these three specific groups. Aboriginal peoples of Canada (referred to here as Indigenous peoples) are defined in the Constitution Act, 1982, Section 35 (2) as including Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples.

First Nations (North American Indian) includes Status and non-Status Indians.

Person refers to an individual and is the unit of analysis for most social statistics programs.

Usage

'Indigenous group of person' may be analyzed using the Classification of Indigenous group. Here, if the person belongs to more than one specific Indigenous group, they are classified using the 'Multiple Indigenous responses' category.

'Indigenous group of person' may also be analyzed by looking at each response individually. Here, the Classification of Indigenous group response is used. This approach is used to look at all persons who reported belonging to a specific Indigenous group. In this second approach, counts are based on response occurrences, that is, each response provided to a question about the person's Indigenous group. A person can have more than one response occurrence, depending on the number of specific Indigenous groups they reported. Each response may be considered separately in analysis. The sum of the Indigenous group responses may be greater than the total population count because a person may report more than one specific Indigenous group.

Conformity to relevant internationally recognized standards

This standard conforms to the recommendations for censuses contained in the United Nations' "Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 3", 2017. The UN suggests that defining the Indigenous population can be done in many ways, such as through a question on ethnic origin (that is to say, ancestry) and/or on Indigenous identity. This standard conforms to the second of the suggested approaches. The UN provides no standard classification because countries use their own national concepts to identify the Indigenous population.

Classifications

Classification of Indigenous group April 01, 2021 to current

Classification of Indigenous group response April 01, 2021 to current

Additional information

See:

Indigenous identity of person

Relation to previous version

Indigenous group of person April 01, 2021 to current
The terminology within the concept has been updated from 'Aboriginal' to 'Indigenous' in English. The wording of the concept definition and the categories in the classifications have been reworded but the meaning is unchanged.

Aboriginal group of person June 15, 2015 to March 31, 2021
This is an update to 'Aboriginal group of person'. The definition has been reworded but the meaning is unchanged.

Aboriginal group of person April 20, 2009 to June 14, 2015
This standard replaces the previous standard called 'Aboriginal identity'. The definitions and class terms in the previous standard have been updated. The meaning of the term Indian is now conveyed by the term First Nations (North American Indian). The new standard also allows for classification of responses in addition to the classification of persons.

Aboriginal identity June 15, 1998 to April 19, 2009
'Aboriginal group of person' replaces the standard 'Aboriginal identity' as of April 20, 2009.

Format: - ARCHIVED - HTML[ARCHIVED - HTML]

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‘Indigenous group’ refers to whether the person is First Nations (North American Indian), Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit). A person may be included in more than one of these three specific groups. Aboriginal peoples of Canada (referred to here as Indigenous peoples) are defined in the Constitution Act, 19…

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As stated on the government of Canada website there are 133 first nations in Ontario Canada. Five of the 20 biggest bands in Canada are located in Ontario, Mohawks of six Nations being the largest. https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1603371542837/1603371807037                                                                        I feel that my website meets expected criteria because its a official government web page, and holds related web pages, contact information, and nobody can edit the website besides the publisher.
Steven.B

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Ontario is home to 23% of all Indigenous peoples in Canada. There are 133 First Nations communities located across Ontario, representing at least 7 major cultural and linguistic groups.

These communities are located from Windsor in the South to the Northern shores of Hudson Bay. Five of the 20 largest bands in Canada are located in Ontario, with Mohawks of Six Nations being the largest. Over 30 First Nations in Ontario are considered remote, accessible only by air year-round or ice road for much of the year. There are more remote First Nations in Ontario than any other region. Urban centers with significant Indigenous populations living off-reserve are found in in Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Ottawa and Toronto.

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There are 133 First Nations communities located across Ontario, representing at least 7 major cultural and linguistic groups.

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There is not one culture for all First Nations. Each Nation has its own culture, customs, beliefs, traditions, and world views. Cultural practices, symbols, and belief systems are influenced by each Nation’s unique experience on the land and with each other, and are always connected with the Spirit world.
I believe this comes from a reliable source because it comes from the University of Toronto website and it was written in 2020.

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Here are seven First Nation facts plus one fun fact to add to your storehouse of knowledge.

1) Number of Nations
There are over 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The total population with First Nation identity is more than 850,000 [1]

2) Creation Beliefs
People everywhere, including First Nations, have their own creation beliefs. Each First Nation has its own creation beliefs, told in the form of a story of their ancestors. The Iroquois creation story often includes elements of the earth being formed on the turtle's back with animals and all other creatures providing further guidance when Sky Woman gives birth to First Woman. While creation beliefs may sound unlikely or silly, to put things in perspective, so does the idea of a person walking on water, coming back from the dead or parting the Red Sea.

There is not one culture for all First Nations. Each Nation has its
3) Cultural Diversity
own culture, customs, beliefs, traditions, and world views. Cultural practices, symbols, and belief systems are influenced by each Nation's unique experience on the land and with each other, and are always connected with the Spirit world.

Download our free ebook Dispelling Common Myths about Indigenous Peoples in which we debunk 9 myths and provide the reality.

4) Cultural Survival
Cultural survival is the name of the game for First Nations (and Indigenous Peoples in general). The past two centuries have seen an active program of assimilation directed towards First Nation culture via the Indian Act. Despite this campaign, which includes relocation from traditional or territorial lands, disastrous assimilation programs, outlawing of cultural practices, loss of language and customs, First Nation cultures have survived. Every decision made reflects this goal, and according to the 7th Generation principle, all decisions must include consideration of impacts on community members seven generations into the future, while honouring those who came before. So, next time a community seems to be taking a long time to make a decision, reflect back on this.

5) Connectivity Principle Many First Nations believe everything is
connected - the spirit world is connected to the mortal world; the sea is connected to the land; the sky is connected to the land. They usually get frustrated by attempts to separate things out. Statements such as "I can't talk you about that as it is not my department or line of work" or "I'm here to talk about mining only and not impacts about forestry" should be avoided. Effort will have to be made to be sensitive to the view of connectivity. Offer to bring in the person whose department it is if it's not yours. You'll get more co-operation in the long run.

6) The Circle is a Sacred Symbol
In First Nation spirituality the circle is everywhere - the medicine wheel, meetings and gatherings are held in circles, dances go in circles, drums are round, as are sweat lodges and tipis. The circle is the symbol of the cycle of all forms of life.

7) The American Constitution is based on the principles of the Great Law of Haudenosaunee Confederacy
The Great Law of Haudenosaunee [2] Confederacy is credited as being a contributing influence on the American Constitution, due to Benjamin Franklin's great respect for the Haudenosaunee system of government, which in itself is interesting from the perspective that the United States formed their Constitution not on the principles of European governments, but rather on that of a people considered "savages".

Fun Fact - Inventions
Who invented hockey is hotly contested but one theory is that it was invented by the Mohawks and we're going with this one. Hundreds of years ago, Jesuit priests wrote about the Mohawks playing with a stick and a piece of frozen ice embedded with mud and stones. According to the Jesuit journals, when a player was struck by the "puck" they yelled "Aukie!" meaning, ouch. Other inventions credited to First Nations include the canoe and kayak, darts, lacrosse (forerunner to hockey) petroleum jelly, cough syrup.

[1] 2011 National Household Survey
[2] With thanks to Tasha Hill for pointing out that "Iroquois", which we formerly used, was the name imposed by settlers on the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (updated Oct. 14, 2019)

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Here are seven First Nation facts plus one fun fact to add to your storehouse of knowledge. 1) Number of Nations There are over 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.

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How many First Nations are there in Ontario?

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How many First Nations are there in Ontario?

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According to the Government website https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1603371542837/1603371807037 "Canada is home to 23% of all Indigenous Peoples in Canada". There is also a high amount of Fist Nation communities  that reach all across Ontario, the website https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1603371542837/1603371807037 says in detail " there are 133 First Nation communities located across Ontario, representing at least 7 major cultural and linguistic groups".

I believe my source is creditable because the information is up to date and relevant to this time, the website was last updated on the date of 2021-11-04. The other reason why my source is creditable is the fact that the website is professionally made by our own government and not a homemade website. you can tell the website is government official because within the URL it has gc.ca which only government websites are allowed to have that domain.

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Ontario is home to 23% of all Indigenous peoples in Canada. There are 133 First Nations communities located across Ontario, representing at least 7 major cultural and linguistic groups.

These communities are located from Windsor in the South to the Northern shores of Hudson Bay. Five of the 20 largest bands in Canada are located in Ontario, with Mohawks of Six Nations being the largest. Over 30 First Nations in Ontario are considered remote, accessible only by air year-round or ice road for much of the year. There are more remote First Nations in Ontario than any other region. Urban centers with significant Indigenous populations living off-reserve are found in in Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Ottawa and Toronto.

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There are 133 First Nations communities located across Ontario, representing at least 7 major cultural and linguistic groups.

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https://youtu.be/mVVD9yYCKiI
21.11.21

First Nations

Fist Nations in Canada means groups of Indigenous peoples who are classified as distinct from the Métis and Inuit and historically lived south of the tree line and the the arctic circle. There are 634 recognized bands of First Nations and roughly half of those are located in Ontario and BC. Ontario First Nations are seeking to recover rent arrears from the Crown. The 23 Nations of the Robins-Huron Treaty are seeking to increase the payments made to their people in exchange for a land parcel the size of France. The payments to each person have been $4 a year since 1974 and the Ontario court of appeal recently ruled that the small violated the spirit of the treaty which was meant to share the wealth generated by the treaty.

The Canadian Encyclopedia

Heritage Minutes: Naskumituwin (Treaty)

Wikipedia

The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/11/first-nations-ontario-cback-rent-court-ruling

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"In oral stories and legends that Elders passed from one generation to another, First Nations children learned how the world came into being and that they were a part of the whole of creation. People gave thanks to everything in nature, upon which they depended for survival and development as individuals and as members of their communities. First Nations treated all objects in their environment—whether animate or inanimate—with the utmost respect." https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1307460755710/1536862806124#chp6. I find my source to be accurate and factual as it's a government website and the facts match on multiple other credible sites.

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Introduction

First Nations in Canada is an educational resource designed for use by young Canadians; high school educators and students; Aboriginal communities; and anyone interested in First Nations history. Its aim is to help readers understand the significant developments affecting First Nations communities from the pre-Contact era (before the arrival of Europeans) up to the present day.

The first part of this text -"Early First Nations" - presents a brief overview of the distinctive cultures of the six main geographic groups of early First Nations in Canada. This section looks at the principal differences in the six groups' respective social organization, food resources, homes, modes of transportation, clothing, and spiritual beliefs and ceremonies.

Parts two through six of this text trace the relationship between First Nations and newcomers to Canada from the very first encounter up to the government's historic apology in June 2008 to all former students of Indian Residential Schools. In this apology, the Government of Canada expressed deep regret for the suffering individual students and their families experienced because of these schools. The government also acknowledged the harm that residential schools and assimilation policies had done to Aboriginal people's cultures, languages and heritage.

Today the Government of Canada is working in partnership with First Nations in this new era of reconciliation to build stronger First Nations communities. All across the country, this crucial collaborative work is taking place in areas as diverse as First Nations economies, education, governance, social services, human rights, culture and the resolution of outstanding land claims.

Part 1 - Early First Nations: The Six Main Geographical Groups

Before the arrival of Europeans, First Nations in what is now Canada were able to satisfy all of their material and spiritual needs through the resources of the natural world around them. For the purposes of studying traditional First Nations cultures, historians have therefore tended to group First Nations in Canada according to the six main geographic areas of the country as it exists today. Within each of these six areas, First Nations had very similar cultures, largely shaped by a common environment.

The six groups were: Woodland First Nations, who lived in dense boreal forest in the eastern part of the country; Iroquoian First Nations, who inhabited the southernmost area, a fertile land suitable for planting corn, beans and squash; Plains First Nations, who lived on the grasslands of the Prairies; Plateau First Nations, whose geography ranged from semi-desert conditions in the south to high mountains and dense forest in the north; Pacific Coast First Nations, who had access to abundant salmon and shellfish and the gigantic red cedar for building huge houses; and the First Nations of the Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins, whose harsh environment consisted of dark forests, barren lands and the swampy terrain known as muskeg.

The following section highlights some of the wide variations in the six groups' social organization, food resources, and homes, modes of transportation and clothing -- as well as spiritual beliefs widely shared by all Early First Nations.

Social Organization

Most Woodland First Nations were made up of many independent groups, each with its own hunting territory. These groups usually had fewer than 400 people. A leader generally won his position because he possessed great courage or skill in hunting. Woodland First Nations hunters and trappers had an intimate knowledge of the habitats and seasonal migrations of animals that they depended on for survival.

Unlike Woodland First Nations, Iroquoian First Nations did not migrate in search of food. Excellent farmers, these southern peoples harvested annual food crops of corn, beans and squash that more than met their needs. An abundance of food supplies made it possible for the Iroquoian First Nations (now known as the Haudenosaunee, or People of the Longhouse) to found permanent communities and gave them the leisure time to develop complex systems of government based on democratic principles.

The Huron-Wendat, for example, had a three-tier political system, consisting of village councils, tribal councils and the confederacy council. All councils made decisions on a consensus basis, with discussions often going late into the night until everyone reached agreement.

On the Plains, the individual migratory groups, each with their own chief, assembled during the summer months for spiritual ceremonies, dances, feasts and communal hunts. Even though each group was fiercely independent, Plains First Nations had military societies that carried out functions such as policing, regulating life in camp and on the march, and organizing defences.

The social organization of several Plains First Nations was influenced by their neighbours and trading partners-the First Nations of the Pacific Coast. As a result, the Dakelh-ne (Carrier), Tahltan and Ts'ilh'got'in (Chilcotin) adopted the stratified social systems of the Pacific Coast Nations, which included nobles, commoners and slaves.

In addition to these three distinct social orders, Pacific Coast First Nations had a well-defined aristocratic class that was regarded as superior by birth. The basic social unit for all First Nations in this part of the country was the extended family (lineage) whose members claimed descent from a common ancestor. Most lineages had their own crests, featuring representations of animal or supernatural beings that were believed to be their founders. The most famous method of crest display was the totem pole consisting of all the ancestral symbols that belonged to a lineage.

The people of the Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins lived in a vast homeland where game animals were very scarce and the winters were long and severe. As was true of most First Nations across the country, those of the Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins were primarily occupied with day-to-day survival. As such, First Nations were divided into several independent groups made up of different family units who worked together. Each group hunted a separate territory, with individual boundaries defined by tradition and use. A group leader was selected according to the group's needs at a particular time. On a caribou hunt, for example, the most proficient hunter would be chosen leader.

Food Resources

All First Nations across the country hunted and gathered plants for both food and medicinal purposes. The actual percentage of meat, fish and plants in any First Nation's diet depended on what was available in the local environment.

The Woodland First Nations (and all First Nations in the northern regions) hunted game animals with spears and bows and arrows. These First Nations also used traps and snares-a type of noose that caught the animal by the neck or leg. Northern hunters, such as the Gwich'in, built elaborate routing fences with stakes and brush. The Gwich'in used these fences to stampede animals into the area where snares had been set to trap them. To provide for times of hardship, the people dried large stores of meat, fish and berries during the summer. During the winter, to keep frozen meat safe from animals such as the wolverine, some First Nations of the Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins stored their food high in a tree with its trunk peeled of bark.

Even though the Haudenosaunee had plenty of meat, fish and fowl available to them in the wild, they lived mainly on their own crops-corn, beans and squash, which were called "The Three Sisters." The men cleared the land for planting, chopping down trees and cutting the brush, while the women planted, tended and harvested the crops. After about 10 years, when the land became exhausted, the people would relocate and clear new fertile fields.

Because the buffalo was the main object of their hunt, Plains First Nations had a hunting culture that was highly developed over thousands of years. Communal hunts took place in June, July and August when the buffalo were fat, their meat prime and their hides easily dressed.

A single buffalo provided a lot of meat, with bulls averaging about 700 kilograms. Eaten fresh, the meat was roasted on a spit or boiled in a skin bag with hot stones, a process that produced a rich, nutritious soup. Just as common was the dried buffalo meat known as jerky, which could be stored for a long time in rawhide bags. Women also prepared high-protein pemmican-dried meat pounded into a powder, which was then mixed with hot, melted buffalo fat and berries. A hunter could easily carry this valuable food stuff in a small leather bag. Pemmican later became a staple in the diet of fur traders and voyageurs.

Salmon was the primary food source for the First Nations of the Plateau. Even the Tahltan hunters of the north assembled each spring at the fishing places to await the arrival of the first salmon. People used dip nets and built weirs in the shallows of swift waters to trap schools of fish. Of the thousands of salmon caught each year, a very small proportion was eaten fresh. The remainder was cleaned, smoked and stored for winter in underground pits lined with birch bark. Wild vegetable foods-chiefly roots and berries-also formed an important part of the diet of the Plateau First Nations, particularly the Interior Salish.

The vast food resources of the ocean-salmon, shellfish, octopus, herring, crabs, whale and seaweed-made it possible for Pacific Coast First Nations to settle in permanent locations. Unlike the Haudenosaunee who relocated every 10 years or so, Pacific Coast First Nations usually built permanent villages. Some village sites show evidence of occupation for more than 4,000 years. Like Plateau First Nations, those of the Pacific Coast dried most of their salmon in smokehouses so that it could be stored and eaten later. Fish oil also played an important part in people's diet, serving as a condiment with dried fish during the winter months. A highly valued source of oil was eulachon, a type of smelt.

The Coast Tsimshian, Haida and Nuu-chah-nulth all hunted sea lion and sea otter, going out into the ocean with harpoons in slim dugout canoes. However, the most spectacular of all marine hunts was the Nuu-chah-nulth's pursuit of the whale. Nuu-chah-nulth whaling canoes were large enough for a crew of eight and the harpooner, who was armed with a harpoon of yew wood about four metres long and sat directly behind the prow.

Homes

Because of their migratory way of life, First Nations of the Woodland, Plains and Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins all built homes that were either portable or easily erected from materials found in their immediate environments. Woodland and northern peoples' homes were essentially a framework of poles covered with bark, woven rush mats or caribou skin, called tipis.

Plains First Nations' tipi poles were usually made from long slender pine trees. These were highly valued because replacements were not easy to find on the Prairies. The average tipi cover consisted of 12 buffalo hides stitched together. To prevent drafts and to provide interior ventilation, an inner wall of skins about two metres high was often fastened to the poles on the inside. Women made, erected and owned the tipis.

Unlike nomadic First Nations, the Haudenosaunee had relatively permanent villages. The longhouse was the most striking feature in an Haudenosaunee village. This structure consisted of an inverted U shape made of poles, which were then covered with slabs of bark. Longhouses were usually about 10 metres wide, 10 metres high and 25 metres long. Each longhouse was headed by a powerful matriarch who oversaw her extended family's day-to-day affairs.

Among First Nations of the Plateau, the subterranean homes of the Interior Salish were unlike those of other First Nations in the country. The Interior Salish dug a pit, usually about two metres deep and from six to twelve metres wide, in well-drained soil, typically near a river. This location meant that clean water, fish and a means of transport were all readily accessible. The Interior Salish then covered the pit with a framework of poles and insulated this dwelling with spruce boughs and earth that was removed from the pit. An opening approximately 1.25 metres square was left at the top and served as both the doorway and smoke-hole. People entered the house with the help of steps carved into a sturdy, slanting log, the top of which protruded out of the opening of the pit house.

Massive forests of red cedar along the Pacific Coast allowed the First Nations who lived in this part of the country to build huge homes. Excellent carpenters, these First Nations used chisels made of stone or shell and stone hammers to split the soft, straight-grained cedar into wide planks. One of the largest traditional homes ever recorded from the pre-contact era was in a Coast Salish village. It was 170 metres long and 20 metres wide. Because Pacific Coast houses were so large, they could accommodate several families, each with its own separate living area and hearth.

Modes of Transportation

Woodland First Nations constructed birch bark canoes that were light, durable and streamlined for navigating the numerous rivers and lakes in this area. Canoe builders stitched bark sheets together and then fastened them to a wooden frame using watup -white spruce root that had been split, peeled and soaked. The vessel's seams were waterproofed with a coating of heated spruce gum and grease.

In the Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins, birch trees did not grow as large as in the southern regions of the country. However, many northern First Nations were able to construct long canoes, using spruce gum to seal the seams between the smaller pieces of bark.

Some Haudenosaunee also built bark-covered canoes. However, these First Nations mainly travelled by land. Exceptional runners, the Haudenosaunee could cover extremely long distances in a very short time.

When the horse was introduced on the Plains by European explorers around 1700, the peoples of the Plains First Nations readily adapted and became skilled riders. Within 100 years of its introduction, the horse was an essential part of Plains First Nations culture-in hunting, warfare, travel and the transportation of goods. Before that, the principal means of transporting goods and household possessions was the dog and travois-two long poles hitched to a dog's sides, to which a webbed frame for holding baggage was fastened.

Pacific Coast First Nations travelled almost exclusively by water, using dugout canoes made of red cedar. Size varied according to a canoe's function. A small hunting canoe for one or two men would be about five metres long. The Haida built very large canoes. Some Haida canoes were more than 16 metres long and two metres wide, and could carry 40 men and two metric tons of cargo.

The actual construction process of a canoe could last three to four weeks and had its own rituals, including prayer and sexual abstinence for the canoe maker. These talented men stretched a canoe hull using a steam-softening process. Water was poured into the hollow and brought to a boil with hot stones. Wooden stretchers were then inserted to hold the sides of the canoe apart while it cooled.

For winter travel, all First Nations built some form of snowshoe with a wood frame and rawhide webbing. The shape and size of snowshoes varied due to what sort of terrain was being travelled.

Clothing

All First Nations across the country, with the exception of the Pacific Coast, made their clothing-usually tunics, leggings and moccasins-of tanned animal skin. Woodland and northern First Nations used moose, deer or caribou skin. Plains First Nations mostly used light animal skins, such as buffalo, antelope, elk or deer.

Women prepared the animal skins and used a smoke tanning process to preserve the hides. Bone needles were used to sew the garments with sinew from the back or legs of a caribou, moose or deer. In winter, people wore robes of fur for extra warmth. Caribou skins were particularly valued by First Nations of the Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins because caribou hair is an excellent insulator.

Whenever weather permitted, men from Pacific Coast First Nations went unclothed. Coast Tsimshian women wore skirts of buckskin, but elsewhere on the Pacific Coast the women's skirts were woven of cedar bark that had been shredded to produce a soft fibre. Neither men nor women of Pacific Coast First Nations had footwear of any kind. In rainy weather these coastal people wore woven bark rain capes and wide-brimmed hats of woven spruce roots. The Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka'wakw also made a distinctive long robe woven from yellow cedar bark. Some of these robes were interwoven with mountain goat wool and the most luxurious had borders of sea otter fur.

Any decorative touches on clothing came from nature. Many Woodland, Haudenosaunee and northern First Nations used dyed porcupine quills to embroider designs on their clothing and moccasins. Men and women coloured their clothing with red, yellow, blue and green dyes derived from flowers, fruits, roots and berries. The men of the Plains First Nations also regularly wore face paint, and a red dye derived from the clay was a very popular colour.

Spiritual Beliefs

All First Nations believed that their values and traditions were gifts from the Creator. One of the most important and most common teachings was that people should live in harmony with the natural world and all it contained.

In oral stories and legends that Elders passed from one generation to another, First Nations children learned how the world came into being and that they were a part of the whole of creation. People gave thanks to everything in nature, upon which they depended for survival and development as individuals and as members of their communities. First Nations treated all objects in their environment-whether animate or inanimate-with the utmost respect.

This deep respect that First Nations cultivated for every thing and every process in the natural world was reflected in songs, dances, festivals and ceremonies. Among the Woodland First Nations, for example, a hunter would talk or sing to a bear before it died, thanking the animal for providing the hunter and his family with much-needed food.

In keeping with their farming culture, the Haudenosaunee held six to eight festivals a year relating to the cultivation of the soil and ripening of fruits and berries. There was a seven-day festival to give thanks when corn was planted, for example, and another when it was green. A third festival was held when corn was harvested.

First Nations of the Pacific Coast had many rituals to give thanks and celebrate the annual salmon run. These rituals included a welcoming ceremony and offerings to the first salmon of the year.

For the principles that guided their day-to-day conduct, many First Nations shared value systems similar to the Seven Grandfather Teachings of the Anishnaabe peoples. These teachings stressed Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility and Truth as the values that enable people to live in a way that promotes harmony and balance with everyone and everything in creation.

Part 2 - History of First Nations - Newcomer Relations

First Encounters - Military and Commercial Alliances
(First Contact to 1763)

Indigenous peoples occupied North America for thousands of years before European explorers first arrived on the eastern shores of the continent in the 11th century. These newcomers were Norse explorers and settlers, moving ever-westward from Scandinavia to Iceland and Greenland, and eventually to the island of Newfoundland. There they founded North America's first European colony at L'Anse aux Meadows. Although this colony was short-lived, it marked the beginning of European exploration and migration that would radically change the lives of North America's Indigenous peoples.

European Colonial Settlements and the Fur Trade

In the 1500s Europeans returned to the eastern shores of North America to establish settlements. By that time, many Europeans had heard from returning fishermen about the wealth of resources that the New World offered. Attracted by the Grand Banks' teeming cod stocks, Basque, Breton, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Irish and English fishermen had already made contact and traded with the Mik'maq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy peoples of the Eastern seaboard. As they returned each summer to fish and dry-cure their catch, these fishermen developed an informal trade system with First Nations, exchanging European goods for furs.

There was soon a network of competing colonies throughout the Americas as the various European powers pushed to expand their own wealth and influence in this New World. In North America, the British and the French quickly became the dominant powers. By the early 1600s the British had established several colonies and begun settlement on a large scale. The bases of France's North American empire were the colonies of Acadia in the Maritimes and New France in the St. Lawrence Valley.

Soon after founding these colonies, the two powers cemented alliances with First Nations to support their commercial interests, which included the fur trade. The British allied with the Iroquois Confederacy (now known as the Haudenosaunee, or People of the Longhouse, this group consisted of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca First Nations) and the First Nations of the Allegheny Mountain range. The French allied with First Nations north of the St. Lawrence River (the Huron, Algonquin, Odawa and Montagnais) and in Acadia (the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy). Using the long-established indigenous trade routes of the Interior, the English and French and their First Nations allies developed a vast trade focused on beaver pelts, that spread across North America. This trade spurred new European explorations throughout the Great Lakes basin, into the Prairies and down the Mississippi River.

Military Alliances and Conflict

French and British explorers, fur traders and soldiers followed the trade routes inland. There they established a network of forts and posts to supply their First Nations trading partners and confirm their presence. First Nations quickly adapted to this new commerce, which brought them European goods such as iron wares and firearms. The fur trade was so profitable and important that the various European and First Nations interests often clashed violently throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Competition between groups such as the Haudenosaunee mentioned above and the Huron resulted in all-out warfare. In the mid-1600s, the Huron were driven from their traditional territories around Georgian Bay.

In 1701, this tumultuous era came to an end when France and 40 First Nations signed a treaty in Montreal known as the Great Peace. Through the agreement, the various First Nations in the Great Lakes basin promised to stop violent attacks and to share the lands, as "a dish with two spoons." Moreover, just prior to the Montreal conference, Haudenosaunee leaders had agreed to sell all of the lands of the Great Lakes to the British in exchange for their protection and the continued right to hunt and fish throughout the territory. The Haudenosaunee not only attained a stable peace with the French and its allies, but also secured British protection for their lands and interests.

As French and British colonies pushed further inland, their competition for control of the rich Interior of North America became a new theatre of war in the power struggles erupting across Europe. These power struggles, particularly between the British and the French, transformed their respective commercial partnerships with First Nations into vital military alliances that brought much needed support to both camps. Desperate for military assistance ahead of what would turn out to be the final French-British conflict in North America (the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763), British administrators created the Indian Department in 1755 to coordinate alliances with the powerful Haudenosaunee. The new Department also tried to resolve concerns regarding colonial fraud and abuses against First Nations and their lands along the colonial frontier.

In 1760, the fall of Montreal-the last French stronghold on the St. Lawrence-put an end to French colonial efforts in what would become Canada. The British victory led to a realignment of the First Nations alliances that had been in place for more than 150 years. Across the former colonies of New France and Acadia, the British undertook a series of treaties to secure the neutrality of First Nations and to establish peaceful relations. In the Maritime region, where lands had been hotly contested since the early 1700s, the British and the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy peoples entered into dozens of these "Peace and Friendship" treaties. In 1760, the Aboriginal allies of New France called upon the British to recognize their neutrality in the Seven Years War and concluded the Treaty of Swegatchie and the Murray Treaty.

Although Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of the Indian Department, worked hard at smoothing relations with the sceptical former allies of the French, he was not entirely successful. Shortly after the fall of Montreal, the Odawa leader Pontiac, doubting British intentions and motives, led a series of attacks against British military positions throughout the Great Lakes region. Nevertheless, a combination of military and diplomatic missions enabled Johnson and the Indian Department to establish peaceful, if somewhat uneasy relations with the various First Nations of the Interior.

The Royal Proclamation of 1763

The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended more than 150 years of European competition and conflict. Through this agreement, France ceded its colonial territories in what is now Canada, including Acadia, New France and the Interior lands of the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. Britain was now the primary European power throughout much of North America, controlling all of the valuable commercial fur trade. Despite this dominance, the British did not fully control the continent. British administrators realized that the success of Britain's North American colonies depended upon stable and peaceful relations with First Nations. To help achieve this, King George III issued a Royal Proclamation in 1763, which specified how the colonies were to be administered. This wide-ranging document established a firm western boundary for the colonies. All the lands to the west of this boundary became "Indian Territories" where there could be no settlement or trade without the permission of the Indian Department.

The Proclamation established very strict protocols for all dealings with First Nations. From 1763 onward, the Indian Department became the primary point of contact between First Nations and the colonies. In addition, only the Crown could purchase land from a First Nation, which was done by officially sanctioned Crown representatives negotiating with an interested First Nation in a public meeting. All other land purchases were to be considered invalid and were dismissed.

The original intent of the Royal Proclamation was to slow the uncontrolled western expansion of the colonies and tightly control the relationship between First Nations and colonists. But crucially, the Proclamation also became the first public recognition of First Nations rights to lands and title.

Part 3 - A Changing Relationship - From Allies to Wards
(1763-1862)

Until the late 18th century, the relationship between First Nations and the British Crown was still very much based on commercial and military interests. The Indian Department had one primary goal for the British administration throughout the Great Lakes basin-to maintain the peace between the small number of British soldiers and traders stationed at far-flung trading posts and the far more numerous and well-armed First Nations. Under Sir William Johnson's direction, the Indian Department acted as an intermediary between the military and First Nations leaders, securing lands for forts; assuring access to trade, furs and goods; issuing yearly presents; and organizing peace conferences. As Johnson made clear in a letter to the British government, the powerful position of First Nations meant that British commercial interests could only flourish in the Interior if the Crown took definite steps to protect those interests.

Treaties and a Growing Colony

The outbreak of the American War of Independence and Britain's subsequent recognition of the United States of America in 1783 had a dramatic impact on the relationship between the British Crown and its First Nations allies. The loss of the American colonies brought some 30,000 United Empire Loyalist refugees to the remaining British colonies in North America. A powerful group of people who had lost everything because of their support for the British cause, these Loyalists asked colonial administrators for new lands.

Settlers were not the only refugees from the newly independent United States. First Nations who fought alongside the British were also dispossessed by the war, especially the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy (this group consisted of the Five Nations Confederacy mentioned above, plus the Tuscarora First Nation). Their lands were unilaterally ceded to the Americans by the 1783 Treaty of Versailles. "His Majesty's Loyal Allies" from the Iroquois Confederacy were now refugees in Montreal and were asking for compensation for their efforts on the Crown's behalf. In response, officials from the Indian Department negotiated a series of land surrender treaties with the various Anishinaabeg peoples (Odawa, Ojibwa and Algonquin First Nations) inhabiting the lands along the St. Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes. These land surrenders, which largely preceded the arrival of settlers to the area, allowed for the remarkably peaceful establishment of an agricultural colony. To help compensate their First Nations allies for the losses incurred during the war with the Americans, the British Crown set aside two parcels of lands as reserves for the Six Nations-one at the Bay of Quinte and the other along the Grand River.

In the last decades of the 18th century, British military leaders and the Indian Department still placed great value on their strong military alliances with First Nations. They feared future conflict with the new American state to the south and saw the numerous First Nations warriors as essential to their colony's defence. The Indian Department worked to bolster the damaged alliances by trying to secure fair deals on land surrenders and by protecting First Nations lands. The Department also issued yearly presents and weaponry during gatherings and conferences with First Nations chiefs and leaders, even those in American territories. These alliances were tested and proved to be strong as war did eventually break out between Britain and its former American colonies. During the War of 1812, First Nations fought alongside the British and Canadian colonists against the American invasion of what is now southern Ontario.

Shifting Relationships

Once peace returned to North America, new immigrants and colonists continued to arrive. Less than 50 years after the first land surrenders for settlers in Upper Canada, the non-First Nations population outnumbered the settler population in the Great Lakes basin. To provide land for new settlers' farms, the pace of land surrenders increased. Some 35 sales were concluded, covering all the lands of Upper Canada-from the productive agricultural lands in the south to the natural resource-rich lands of Lake Superior and Georgian Bay.

As settlers demanded more and more property, they began to pressure the colonial administration for the lands held by First Nations. Instead of a bastion of colonial defence, the colony's First Nations populations were now regarded as an impediment to growth and prosperity. Not only had military threats to the colonies faded with the end of the War of 1812, but the colonial militia was able to draw on the ever-growing settler population to meet the colony's defensive needs. In the decades following the War of 1812, British administrators therefore began to regard First Nations as dependents, rather than allies.

By the 1830s, with more and more lands surrendered for settlement, only pockets of First Nations lands remained in Upper Canada. For the most part, the land surrender treaties did not create sizeable reserves for the First Nations signatories. First Nations thus increasingly lost access to hunting grounds and became a dispossessed people on their former lands. A treaty concluded in 1836 by the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, Sir Francis Bond Head, established Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay as a reserve for the dispossessed First Nations population. The goal was to encourage these landless peoples to relocate to the island where they would be removed from the more harmful aspects of colonial society (specifically alcohol and prostitution) and where they would adapt to the new colonial reality at a controlled pace. However, few First Nations actually relocated to Manitoulin Island. Most continued to live on small plots of lands set aside by the treaties or on the lands of religious missions trying to convert them to Christianity. Some squatted on Crown Lands, living an increasingly destitute life. Meanwhile, the Crown continued to conclude land surrender treaties with First Nations until 1862.

As settlement lands were filled, attention turned for the first time to northern areas where minerals had been discovered along the shores of Lake Superior and Lake Huron. As a result, the Robinson-Huron and Robinson-Superior treaties of the 1850s were negotiated with the various Anishinaabeg peoples inhabiting the area. These two treaties, unlike any previously negotiated treaties, would become the template for future agreements with First Nations in the West. Specifically, the two Robinson treaties ceded First Nations lands and rights to the Crown in exchange for reserves, annuities and First Nations' continued right to hunt and fish on unoccupied Crown lands. This formula to conclude agreements with numerous bands for large tracts of lands would become the model for the Post-Confederation Numbered Treaties.

The Hudson's Bay Company

While Britain established its new colony on the St. Lawrence, the Company of Adventurers, better known as the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), continued to trade as it had done since 1670. With an exclusive monopoly and a charter for all the lands of the Hudson Bay watershed, the HBC traded with the First Nations of what is now Northern Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. In search of rich supplies of furs for the European market, this trade extended along the coasts of the Hudson and James bays. Only peripherally affected by the nearly continuous colonial conflict between France and Britain, the HBC was able to establish a series of posts at strategic major rivers. These early posts, such as Fort Albany and York Factory, became the base for an extensive trade alliance with the Cree. In exchange for a wide variety of goods (knives, kettles, beads, needles and blankets), the Cree traded vast amounts of animal furs from the Interior. As the fur trade grew more lucrative, the Cree became a sort of intermediary between the Company and the Interior groups. They collected furs and pelts from other First Nations hunters and took them to the HBC posts on the coast. Because of the HBC's monopoly over all trade on lands where the waters flowed into Hudson Bay, this trade relationship proved very profitable for both parties.

Not all parties, however, were happy with the Company's monopoly over some of the richest fur territories in North America. Following the transfer of New France to the British, French traders based in Montreal began to look for new sources of fur. Several new companies began to challenge the HBC, the most successful being the Northwest Company. Using the system of Interior trading posts and routes established by the French before 1763, the Nor'Westers, as they were known, exploited the lands of the Upper Great Lakes by going out to trade and collect the furs themselves. The Northwest Company, aided by the paddling and hauling skills of French-Canadian, Métis and First Nations voyageurs, went directly to the source of the furs. In this way, they were able to redirect a large quantity of furs away from the Cree intermediaries and the HBC posts far to the north. Using the Ottawa River route from Montreal up to Lake Nippissing and across to Lake Superior, the Northwest Company controlled the bulk of the fur trade heading to Montreal and across to Europe. From their company's primary post, Fort William (near present-day Thunder Bay), the Nor'Westers extended their reach into the vast Prairies of North America.

By going into the Interior and trading directly with First Nations hunters, the Northwest Company disrupted the long-standing relationship between the HBC and its Cree intermediaries. Faced with a sharp decline in fur stocks, the HBC governors in London responded by adopting their rival's tactics and abandoning the use of First Nations middlemen. During the first two decades of the 19th century, the HBC and Northwest Company pushed further down the North and South Saskatchewan, the Assiniboine and the Athabasca rivers (among others) in a race to get to First Nations hunters and their fur stocks. This competition not only pitted the traders against each other, but First Nations also joined the fray in an attempt to secure the best prices and goods for their furs. In 1821, after a bloody decade of violence and conflict on the Prairies, the two companies merged into a new and reinvigorated Hudson's Bay Company. The renewed HBC now stretched across the northern half of the continent and held a near total monopoly on trade from the Pacific Coast to Hudson Bay and down to Montreal.

This long history of trade, commerce and competition brought about major changes for the First Nations populations of the northern Plains. Above all, the European desire for fur radically transformed Indigenous economies. Rather than small-scale hunting for furs, First Nations were dedicating more and more time and resources to the seemingly endless European demand for animal pelts. The HBC's desire for bison pelts and pemmican (a type of preserved bison meat popular among traders and voyageurs) transformed the Plains First Nations' buffalo hunt from one of subsistence to extensive commercial exploitation. Trade patterns shifted towards the northern HBC posts and later to the Interior trading posts that were scattered across the Prairies. Traders who had to ship goods down the rivers to central depots such as Fort William hired First Nations men as labourers and porters. All of these activities contributed to a wide-scale diffusion of European goods, especially iron wares, knives and firearms, and to First Nations' dependence on these goods.

A second major impact of the extended fur trade was increased contact between First Nations, traders and settlers, which would have a dramatic effect on First Nations over the long term. The far-flung and isolated trading posts became gathering places for many groups-not only for trade with the HBC, but also for traders and First Nations themselves. This proximity to traders meant easy access to alcohol, which would have devastating effects on First Nations.

In 1812, the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, the Earl of Selkirk, established a colonial settlement where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet. Plagued by poor planning and the ongoing conflict between the HBC and the Northwest Company, this initial attempt to organize a colony in the Interior ended in failure. However, a few settlers and Company men did remain in the area and lived in the Interior year-round. Eventually, these people helped form a more established community along the Red River. Decades of intermarriage between HBC traders and voyageurs with First Nation women created a new and distinct Aboriginal group-the Métis-centred at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. This close-knit community merged and adopted European and First Nations customs and lifestyles to meet the needs of the growing frontier settlement.

Part 4 - Legislated Assimilation - Development of the Indian Act
(1820-1927)

"Civilizing the Indian"

As First Nations' military role in the colony waned, British administrators began to look at new approaches to their relationship. In fact, a new perspective was emerging throughout the British Empire about the role the British should play with respect to Indigenous peoples. This new perspective was based on the belief that British society and culture were superior; there was also a missionary fervour to bring British "civilization" to the Empire's Indigenous people. In the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada, the Indian Department became the vehicle for this new plan of "civilization." The British believed it was their duty to bring Christianity and agriculture to First Nations. Indian agents accordingly began encouraging First Nations to abandon their traditional lifestyles and to adopt more agricultural and sedentary ways of life. As we now know, these policies were intended to assimilate First Nations into the larger British and Christian agrarian society.

Starting in the 1820s, colonial administrators undertook many initiatives aimed at "civilizing" First Nations. One early assimilation experiment took place at Coldwater-Narrows, near Lake Simcoe in Upper Canada. A group of Anishinaabe were encouraged to settle in a typical colonial-style village where they would be instructed in agriculture and encouraged to adopt Christianity and abandon hunting and fishing as a means of subsistence. But because of poor management by the Indian Department, chronic underfunding, a general lack of understanding of First Nations cultures and values, and competition between various religious denominations, the Coldwater-Narrows experiment was short-lived and a dismal failure.

Indian Legislation

Despite initial problems, the "civilization" program was to remain one of the central tenets of Indian policy and legislation for the next 150 years. One of the first such pieces of legislation was the Crown Lands Protection Act, passed in 1839. This Act made the government the guardian of all Crown lands, including Indian Reserve lands. The Act responded to the fact that settlement was occurring faster throughout the 1830s than the colony could manage. Squatters were already settling on unoccupied territory, both Crown lands and Indian reserves. The statute was thus the first to classify Indian lands as Crown lands to be protected by the Crown. The Act also served to secure First Nations interests by limiting settlers' access to reserves. More legislation protecting First Nations interests were passed in 1850, limiting trespassing and encroachment on First Nations reserve lands. This legislation also provided a definition of an "Indian", exempted First Nations from taxation and protected them from creditors. In 1857, the British administration introduced the Gradual Civilization Act. This legislation offered 50 acres of land and monetary inducements to literate and debt-free First Nations individuals provided they abandoned their traditional lifestyle and adopted a "civilized" life as a "citizen".

In 1860, the Management of Indian Lands and Property Act ( Indian Land Act) brought about another fundamental change in First Nations' relations with the Crown. This Act transferred authority for Indian affairs to the colonies, enabling the British Crown to dispense with the last of its responsibilities towards its former allies. However, colonial responsibility for the management of "Indians and Indian lands" very soon became a federal responsibility with the creation of the new Dominion of Canada under the 1867 British North America Act. The new nation continued the centralized approach to Indian affairs used by the British. In addition, in 1869 Canada extended its influence over First Nations by the purchase of Rupert's Land (the Hudson's Bay Company lands). The new Dominion was now responsible for addressing the needs and claims of First Nations from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains.

Indian Policy in British Columbia

On the West Coast, the relationship between European settlers and the region's First Nation inhabitants developed quite differently from that between settlers and First Nations in the Great Lakes basin. For nearly 50 years, the commercial aspirations of the Hudson's Bay Company had overshadowed settlement in the West. With a trade monopoly for the entire British half of the Oregon territory, the HBC was content to keep its diplomatic dealings with the West Coast First Nations restricted to commercial matters relating to the fur trade.

In 1849, the HBC received a new mandate to establish a colony on Vancouver Island. James Douglas, the HBC's Chief Factor and later colonial Governor after 1854, signed 14 treaties with various Coast Salish communities on Vancouver Island between 1850 and 1854. Under these treaties, the First Nations surrendered land required for settlement around various HBC posts in exchange for lump sum cash payments and goods, and the continued right to hunt and fish. The creation of the colony of British Columbia in 1859 and the rise of local control over colonial administration had a deep and lasting impact on First Nations in the region. Led by colonial surveyor and later lieutenant governor, Joseph Trutch, the colonial assembly slowly retracted the policies established by Douglas during the 1850s. Treaty making did not continue after 1854 because of British Colombia's reluctance to recognize First Nations land rights, unlike all other British colonial jurisdictions. This denial of Aboriginal land title persisted even after British Colombia joined Confederation and ran contrary to the Dominion's recognition of this title in other parts of the country.

The Numbered Treaties

Between 1871 and 1921, Canada undertook a series of land surrender treaties throughout its new territories. The objectives of these surrenders were to fulfil the requirements under the transfer; to secure Canadian sovereignty; to open the land for settlement and exploitation; and to reduce possible conflict between First Nations and settlers. Adhering to the form of the 1850 Robinson Treaties, the Crown negotiated 11 new agreements covering Northern Ontario, the Prairies and the Mackenzie River up to the Arctic. As in the Robinson Treaties, these Numbered Treaties set aside reserve lands for First Nations and granted them annuities and the continued right to hunt and fish on unoccupied Crown lands in exchange for Aboriginal title. Also included in these new treaties were schools and teachers to educate First Nations children on reserves; farming, hunting and fishing equipment; and ceremonial and symbolic elements, such as medals, flags and clothing for chiefs. First Nations were not opposed to this process and in many cases pressured Canada to undertake treaties in areas when it was not prepared to do so. First Nations signatories had their own reasons to enter into treaties with the Crown. On the whole, First Nations leaders were looking to the Crown for assistance in a time of great change and upheaval in their communities. Facing disease epidemics and famine, First Nations leaders wanted the government to help care for their people. They also wanted assistance in adapting to a rapidly changing economy as buffalo herds neared extinction and the HBC shifted its operations to the North.

Throughout the negotiations and in the text of the Numbered Treaties, First Nations were encouraged to settle on reserve lands in sedentary communities, take up agriculture and receive an education. The Treaty Commissioners explained that the reserves were to help First Nations adapt to a life without the buffalo hunt and that the government would help them make the transition to agriculture. These 11 treaties included land surrenders on a massive scale. The Numbered Treaties can be divided into two groups: those for settlement in the South and those for access to natural resources in the North. Treaties 1 to 7 concluded between 1871 and 1877, led the way to opening up the Northwest Territories to agricultural settlement and to the construction of a railway linking British Columbia to Ontario. These treaties also solidified Canada's claim on the lands north of the shared border with the United States. After a 22-year gap, treaty making resumed between 1899 and 1921 to secure and facilitate access to the vast and rich natural resources of Northern Canada.

The Indian Act

In 1876, the government introduced another piece of legislation that would have deep and long-lasting impacts on First Nations across Canada. The Indian Act of 1876 was a consolidation of previous regulations pertaining to First Nations. The Act gave greater authority to the federal Department of Indian Affairs. The Department could now intervene in a wide variety of internal band issues and make sweeping policy decisions, such as determining who was an Indian. Under the Act, the Department would also manage Indian lands, resources and moneys; control access to intoxicants; and promote "civilization." The Indian Act was based on the premise that it was the Crown's responsibility to care for and protect the interests of First Nations. It would carry out this responsibility by acting as a "guardian" until such time as First Nations could fully integrate into Canadian society.

The Indian Act is one of the most frequently amended pieces of legislation in Canadian history. It was amended nearly every year between 1876 and 1927. The changes made were largely concerned with the "assimilation" and "civilization" of First Nations. The legislation became increasingly restrictive, imposing ever-greater controls on the lives of First Nations. In the 1880s, the government imposed a new system of band councils and governance, with the final authority resting with the Indian agent. The Act continued to push for the whole-scale abandonment of traditional ways of life, introducing outright bans on spiritual and religious ceremonies such as the potlatch and sun dance.

The concept of enfranchisement (the legal act of giving an individual the rights of citizenship, particularly the right to vote) also remained a key element of government policy for decades to come. As very few First Nations members opted to become enfranchised, the government amended the Act to enable automatic enfranchisement. An 1880 amendment, for example, declared that any First Nations member obtaining a university degree would be automatically enfranchised. An 1933 amendment empowered the government to order the enfranchisement of First Nations members meeting the qualifications set out in the Act, even without such a request from the individuals concerned. In 1927, the government added yet another new restriction to the Act. In response to the Nisga'a pursuit of a land claim in British Columbia, the federal government passed an amendment forbidding fundraising by First Nations for the purpose of pursuing a land claim without the expressed permission of the Department of Indian Affairs. This amendment effectively prevented First Nations from pursuing land claims of any kind.

Indian Education and Residential Schools

In 1883, Indian Affairs policy on First Nations education focused on residential schools as a primary vehicle for "civilization" and "assimilation". Through these schools, First Nations children were to be educated in the same manner and on the same subjects as Canadian children (reading, writing, arithmetic and English or French). At the same time, the schools would force children to abandon their traditional languages, dress, religion and lifestyle. To accomplish these goals, a vast network of 132 residential schools was established across Canada by the Catholic, United, Anglican and Presbyterian churches in partnership with the federal government. More than 150,000 Aboriginal children attended residential schools between 1857 and 1996.

Part 5 - New Perspectives - First Nations in Canadian Society
(1914-1982)

Despite decades of difficult and painful living conditions for First Nations under the restrictive regulations of the Indian Act, many First Nations answered the call to arms during both World Wars and the Korean War. Approximately 6,000 Aboriginal soldiers from across Canada served in the First World War alone. By the late 1940s, social and political changes were underway that would mark the start of a new era for First Nations in Canada. Several First Nations leaders emerged, many of them drawing attention to the fact that thousands of their people had fought for their country in both World Wars. First Nations across the country began to create provincially based organizations that forcefully expressed their peoples' desire for equality with other Canadians, while maintaining their cultural heritage.

Rolling Back Paternalism

In 1946, a special joint parliamentary committee of the Senate and the House of Commons undertook a broad review of Canada's policies and management of Indian affairs. For three years, the committee received briefs and representations from First Nations, missionaries, school teachers and federal government administrators. These hearings brought to light the actual impact of Canada's assimilation policies on the lives and well-being of First Nations. The committee hearings were one of the first occasions at which First Nations leaders and Elders were able to address parliamentarians directly instead of through the Department of Indian Affairs. First Nations largely rejected the idea of cultural assimilation into Canadian society. In particular, they spoke out against the enforced enfranchisement provisions of the Indian Act and the extent of the powers that the government exercised over their daily lives. Many groups asked that these "wide and discretionary" powers be vested in First Nations chiefs and councillors on reserves so that they themselves could determine the criteria for band membership and manage their own funds and reserve lands. While the joint committee did not recommend a full dismantling of the Indian Act and its assimilationist policies, it did recommend that unilateral and mandatory elements of the Act be scaled back or revised. The committee also recommended that a Claims Commission be established to hear problems arising from the fulfilment of treaties.

Despite the committee's recommendations, amendments to the Indian Act in 1951 did not bring about sweeping changes to the government's Indian policy, nor did it differ greatly from previous legislation. Contentious elements of the Act such as the involuntary enfranchisement clause were repealed, as were the provisions that determined Indian status. However, the amendments did introduce some changes. For example, sections of the Act banning the potlatch and other traditional ceremonies, as well as a ban on fundraising to pursue land claims, were repealed. Bands were also given more control over the administration of their communities and over the use of band funds and revenues. National pension benefits and other health and welfare benefits were to be extended to First Nations. While the 1951 Act did limit some of the authority of the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development over individual bands, the government continued to exercise considerable powers over the lives of First Nations.

Despite the fact that the Indian Act still limited First Nations' control over their own affairs, by 1960 social and economic conditions on reserve began to improve. That year First Nations were at long last extended the right to vote in federal elections, another recommendation of the 1946 joint committee. First Nations veterans played a big role in this important advance, pointing out that, despite having fought for Canada in two World Wars, they were still deprived the right to vote. Other improvements for First Nations included the provision of better healthcare services in the mid-1950s. With these improvements, the Status Indian population increased rapidly. In addition, many more First Nations children had access to schooling, including secondary and post-secondary education. In general, however, the living conditions of First Nations still fell far short of the standards of other Canadians.

The White Paper

In 1969, the government began to examine a radically new approach to its Indian policy. This approach was based on the view that all Canadians held the same rights regardless of ethnicity, language or history. Arguing that the "special status" of First Nations and Inuit had put them at a disadvantage, and that both of these groups should be fully integrated into Canadian society, the government tabled a policy paper commonly known as the White Paper. This paper called for a repeal of the Indian Act, an end to federal responsibility for First Nations and termination of special status. It also called for the decentralization of Indian affairs to provincial governments, which would then administer services for First Nations. The White Paper further recommended that an equitable way be found to bring an end to treaties. In this way, the government hoped to abolish what it saw as a false separation between First Nations and the rest of Canadian society.

First Nations overwhelmingly rejected the White Paper. The complete lack of consultation with the people who would be directly affected-First Nations themselves-was central to their criticism. It became apparent that while many people regarded the Indian Act as paternalistic and coercive, the Act nevertheless protected special Aboriginal status within Confederation and therefore specific rights. In the face of such strong negative reaction not only from First Nations, but also from the general public, the government withdrew the White Paper in 1971. The government's attempt to change its relationship with First Nations created a new form of Aboriginal nationalism. First Nations leaders from across the country united in new associations and organizations determined to protect and promote their peoples' rights and interests. These organizations proposed their own policy alternatives. The Indian Association of Alberta, for example, argued in a paper entitled Citizens Plus that Aboriginal peoples held rights and benefits that other Canadians did not. Rallying around this concept, First Nations leaders argued that their people were entitled to all the benefits of Canadian citizenship, in addition to special rights deriving from their unique and historical relationship with the Crown.

The federal government slowly began to change its approach and scale back its paternalistic presence in the lives of First Nation, for example, by withdrawing all Indian agents from reserves. The government also began to fund Aboriginal political organizations. This funding allowed these groups to focus on the need for full recognition of their Aboriginal rights and the renegotiation of existing treaties.

Comprehensive Land Claims

As First Nations organizations such as the National Indian Brotherhood (later the Assembly of First Nations) increasingly challenged the government's Indian policy, the courts also began to weigh in on the issue. In the early 1970s, three landmark court decisions brought about an important shift in the recognition of the rights of First Nations in Canada. In Northern Quebec, a proposed hydro-electric project in the James Bay region announced in 1971 became a focal point for Cree and Inuit protests. Arguing that the lands of Northern Quebec were not covered by any existing treaties and that they still held Aboriginal rights over those lands, the Cree Nation and Inuit of Northern Quebec filed for an injunction to block the project until their claim of rights and title was addressed. In an unprecedented decision in Canadian law, in 1973 the Superior Court of Quebec ruled in favour of the Cree and Inuit, deciding that there remained an unfulfilled obligation to resolve Aboriginal title in Northern Quebec.

That same year, the courts once again brought the issue of First Nations claims under public scrutiny. After decades of persistence, the Nisga'a people in British Columbia succeeded in bringing their case before the Supreme Court of Canada. Led by Frank Calder, the Nisga'a argued that Aboriginal title to lands was part of Canadian law. In their 1973 decision in the Calder case, six of the seven Supreme Court justices ruled in favour of the Nisga'a, confirming the legality of Aboriginal title. In a third court case in 1973, the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories ruled in what has become known as the Paulette Caveat that Canada had not fulfilled its obligations under the terms of Treaties 8 and 11 in the Territories. As such, Aboriginal rights and title could not be fully relinquished to the Crown.

A review of these three monumental court decisions led the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (now Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada or AANDC) to announce its willingness to negotiate land claims based on outstanding Aboriginal title. The Department's new Comprehensive Claims Policy, the aim of which was to settle land claims through a negotiated process, was announced in August 1973. Through this new policy, Aboriginal rights and title would be transferred to the Crown by an agreement that guaranteed defined rights and benefits for the signatories (i.e. land title, fishing and trapping rights, financial compensation and other social and economic benefits). The first agreement under this new policy was with the Cree and Inuit of Northern Quebec. Soon after the 1972 James Bay ruling, the Cree, Inuit and the federal and Quebec governments began negotiations in an attempt to settle Aboriginal claims and allow the hydro-electric development project to resume. Under the final agreement signed in November 1975, the concerned Cree and Inuit groups surrendered their Aboriginal title to about 981,610 square kilometres of the James Bay/Ungava territory in Northern Quebec. In return, these parties were awarded a $225-million settlement, to be paid over 20 years. The Cree and Inuit also received tracts of community lands with exclusive hunting and trapping rights, the establishment of a new system of local government on lands set aside for their use, and First Nations control over their education and health authorities. In addition, the agreement set out measures relating to policing and the administration of justice, continuing federal and provincial benefits, and special social and economic development measures.

Since 1975, the Comprehensive Claims Policy has been modified in response to Aboriginal concerns and positions. Most notably, new options were added in 1986 relating to the transfer of rights and title (as well as a broader scope of rights and other issues). A cap on the number of ongoing negotiations was lifted in 1991.

The negotiation of comprehensive claims is a long and painstaking process, requiring many years to complete. From 1975 to 2009, there were 22 comprehensive claims agreements, commonly known as "modern treaties," concluded across Northern Quebec, the Northwest Territories, Yukon and British Columbia. Two of the most important agreements concluded are the Nunavut and Nisga'a agreements. Signed in 1993, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement was the first treaty with Inuit in Canada and laid the groundwork for the creation of the Territory of Nunavut on April 1st, 1999. One year earlier in British Columbia, after over a century of claims and 24 years of negotiation, the Nisga'a Agreement was ratified by the Nisga'a, Canada and the province of British Columbia. The Nisga'a Final Agreement of 2000 was the first modern treaty in British Columbia.

Specific Claims Policy

As part of the wider review of how Canada dealt with First Nations claims, AANDC created a companion policy to Comprehensive Claims that addressed claims of a more specific nature. While the idea of addressing specific First Nations claims was first proposed in the 1948 joint committee report, it was not acted upon until 1973. From this point forward the Comprehensive Claims Policy would deal with issues stemming from claims to Aboriginal title, whereas the Specific Claims Policy addressed claims relating to the failure to fulfill any "lawful obligations" flowing from the Indian Act or existing treaties. To accompany the policy, the Office of Native Claims was created to guide claims through the process. However, the claims process proved difficult and cumbersome, leading many First Nations to complain it was ineffective and inefficient. After amendments to the policy in the mid-1980s and again in the early 1990s, the government created the Indian Specific Claims Commission to review AANDC's decisions regarding claims and to make recommendations.

While these changes to the policy did allow for more claims to be addressed, the complexity, volume and diversity of the claims were increasingly difficult to manage. Lengthy delays were common. In 2006, the Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples recommended that the government establish a dedicated fund for the payment of specific claims settlements and an independent body with a mandate and power to resolve specific claims. In response, AANDC invited First Nations organizations to become directly involved in formulating the new Specific Claims Policy. As a result, in 2008 the Specific Claims Tribunal Act created an independent adjudicative tribunal with the authority to make binding decisions on the validity of claims and on compensation.

"Existing Aboriginal and Treaty Rights"

The federal government entered into constitutional discussions with provincial premiers between 1977 and 1981 to reform and repatriate the Constitution. Aboriginal political organizations tried unsuccessfully to get a seat at the negotiations table. When a 1981 constitutional proposal was announced, Aboriginal and treaty rights were excluded. However, after several months of concerted lobbying, First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations succeeded in having two clauses included in Section 35 of the Constitution, to recognize "existing Aboriginal and treaty rightsAboriginal peoples that included all three groups. At conferences held between 1983 and 1987, attempts were made to define "existing Aboriginal and treaty rights." However, those rights remained undefined because of disagreements between the provinces, Canada and Aboriginal groups. Given this lack of consensus on a clear definition of "existing Aboriginal and treaty rights," responsibility has fallen to the courts to define the extent and scope of these rights and to direct government policies and programs so that they respect these rights and prevent any infringement of them.

Part 6 - Towards a New Relationship
(1982-2008)

Bill C-31

Since the mid-1800s, government policy had dictated that First Nations women automatically lost their Indian "status" if they married non-Aboriginal men. This automatic enfranchisement was entrenched in successive legislation for more than a century. For decades, many First Nations members, especially women, criticized this section of the Indian Act as blatant discrimination. By the 1980s, criticism of this aspect of the Act was widespread throughout Canadian society. Spurred by a series of 1970s court challenges attacking the legality of this loss of status for First Nations women, the government consulted with First Nations leaders across the country on how best to amend the Act.

Parliament passed Bill C-31 in 1985. This amendment to the Indian Act removed discriminatory provisions, eliminated the links between marriage and status, gave individual bands greater control in determining their own membership, and defined two new categories of Indian status. Through this amendment, some 60,000 persons regained their lost status. In addition, Bill C-31 distinguished between band membership and Indian status. While the government would continue to determine status, bands were given complete control over membership lists.

The Oka Crisis and RCAP

The need to deal with the long-standing grievances of First Nations became more urgent following the events at Oka, Quebec, in the summer of 1990. A conflict that would grab near-immediate national attention was sparked on July 11th of that year when the Quebec Provincial Police tried to dismantle a roadblock that had been set up outside Montreal in mid-March by a group of Mohawks from Kanesatake. This First Nation community had erected the roadblock to prevent the nearby town of Oka from expanding a golf course onto sacred Mohawk lands. One police officer was killed during the raid. For 78 days, armed Mohawk warriors faced off against the Quebec Provincial Police, and later the Canadian Armed Forces, before voluntarily withdrawing from their barricade after an agreement was reached between all parties.

Following what became known as the Oka Crisis, First Nations leaders and political commentators across the country debated the impact of the standoff. Supporters of the Mohawk Warriors Society argued that the conflict raised the profile of Aboriginal issues in a way that Aboriginal leaders had been unable to do previously. However, others argued that any gains made were offset by increased racism toward Aboriginal peoples, a loss of credibility for the Aboriginal rights movement and rising militancy among discontented Aboriginal youth.

In an attempt to address the concerns of First Nations leaders, and mere days before the conclusion of the Oka Crisis, the government announced a new agenda to improve its relationship with First Nations. The new measures included progress on land claim settlements, the creation of the Indian Specific Claims Commission, improved living conditions, an improved federal relationship with Aboriginal peoples and a review of the role of Aboriginal peoples in Canadian society. A few months later, in 1991, the government established the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP). The Commission's mandate was to propose specific solutions to issues that had long plagued the relationship between Aboriginal peoples, the government and Canadian society as a whole.

The Commission published its final report in 1996, which included 440 recommendations covering a wide range of Aboriginal issues. The RCAP report is a significant body of work that has been widely used to inform public debate and policy making.

Self-Government

In 1983, in response to First Nations' demands for greater autonomy, the House of Commons established a parliamentary committee (the Penner Committee) to investigate Aboriginal self-government. Following its study, the committee stated in its report that this right was inherent to all First Nations and should be entrenched in the Constitution alongside Aboriginal and treaty rights.

In 1995, the government launched the Inherent Right Policy to negotiate practical arrangements with Aboriginal groups to make a return to self-government a reality. This process involved extensive consultations with Aboriginal leaders at the local, regional and national levels, and took the position that an inherent right of Aboriginal self-government already existed within the Constitution. Accordingly, new self-government agreements would then be partnerships between Aboriginal peoples and the federal government to implement that right. The policy also recognized that no single form of government was applicable to all Aboriginal communities. Self-government arrangements would therefore take many forms based upon the particular historical, cultural, political and economic circumstances of each respective Aboriginal group. Since the introduction of the policy, there have been 17 self-government agreements completed, many of which are part of larger Comprehensive Claims agreements.

National Aboriginal Day

The growing recognition of Aboriginal rights in Canadian law led to calls for greater recognition of the contributions of Aboriginal peoples to Canadian society. Shortly after the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood, the leading body representing First Nations in Canada, called for the creation of a yearly "National Aboriginal Solidarity Day" on June 21st. Pressure for a national day of recognition continued to grow during the following decade as new ways were sought to bridge the divide between Aboriginal peoples and Canadians, especially in the wake of the 1990 Oka Crisis. In 1995, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommended the designation of a "National First Peoples Day" as a way to focus attention on the history, achievements and contributions of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. This message was repeated later that year during the Sacred Assembly, a national conference chaired by Elijah Harper, which called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal peoples. On June 13, 1996, after considerable consultation with Aboriginal organisations, June 21st was officially declared National Aboriginal Day.

Since its inauguration, National Aboriginal Day has become part of the annual nationwide Celebrate Canada! festivities held from June 21st to July 1st. June 21st was chosen because of the cultural significance of the summer solstice and because many Aboriginal groups mark this day as a time to celebrate their heritage. Setting aside a day for Aboriginal peoples is part of the wider recognition of their important place within the fabric of Canada and the ongoing contributions to Canadian society made by First Nations, Métis and Inuit.

Residential Schools Apology

As the government continued to transfer control of local affairs to individual First Nations, education also began to be decentralized. New education policies began to emerge in the 1970s, with First Nations developing education systems that incorporated both the fundamental elements of a modern curriculum, as well as aspects of their respective traditions, languages and cultures. Special grants for training First Nations teachers, traditional language classes and lessons in First Nations history and culture helped strengthen these new education systems. With these advances, the residential school system increasingly fell out of favour and was slowly phased out. The final residential school, located in Saskatchewan, was closed in 1996.

While First Nations took charge of educating their children, the legacy of the residential school system became increasingly apparent. More and more stories surfaced regarding abuse and mistreatment of children by school administrators and teachers. In 1990, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs leader Phil Fontaine called on the government and the churches involved with residential schools to acknowledge and address the decades of abuse and mistreatment that occurred at these institutions. In its final report, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples noted the deep and lasting negative impacts this policy had on those who attended the residential schools, as well as their families, communities and cultures. As claims and litigation against the government and churches continued to mount, the first steps toward reconciliation began in the 1990s. The various churches involved in running these institutions were the first to offer their apologies to residential school survivors. In 1998, the government also acknowledged its role in the abuse and mistreatment of Aboriginal students during their time at residential schools.

After nearly a decade of negotiations, in 2007 the Government announced a landmark compensation package (the Common Experience Package) for residential school survivors, worth nearly $2 billion. The settlement included a common experience payment, an independent assessment process, commemoration activities, measures to support healing and the creation of an Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission to act as an independent body and to provide a safe and culturally appropriate place for former students and others affected by the residential school system to share their experiences.

The Government of Canada offered an historic formal apology on June 11, 2008, to all former students of residential schools and asked their forgiveness for the suffering they experienced and for the impact the schools had on Aboriginal cultures, heritage and languages. The apology also made clear the government's commitment to address the legacy of residential schools through continuing measures, including the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
First Nations in Canada is an educational resource designed for use by young Canadians; high school educators and students; Aboriginal communities; and anyone interested in First Nations history. Its aim is to help readers understand the significant developments affecting First Nations communities from the pre-Contact era (before the arrival of Europeans) up to the present day.

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According to Wikipedia, under the section "First Nations" the term officially began use by the government of Canada in the 1980's to replace the term "Indian Band" when referring to groups of indigenous peoples with common government and language. The First Nations people had begun to identify by this term during 1970s activism, in order to avoid using the word "Indian" which was considered offensive.

Some indigenous peoples in Canada have also adopted the term First Nation to replace the word "Band" in the formal name of their community.

Within Canada, the term First Nations has come into general use for indigenous peoples other than Inuit and metis. Individuals using the term outside Canada include U.S. tribes within the Pacific Northwest, as well as supporters of the Cascadian independence movement. The singular, commonly used on culturally politicized reserves, is the term "first Nations person" (when gender-specific, "First Nations man" or First Nations woman").
This information is based the article "First Nations" on the website Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia can be trusted because of its format it provides factual based information removed from emotional and political restraints often taking the stance of truth in decisive matters. The other large reason is because Wikipedia is actually just a collection of millions of other authors and all references and sources are always cited at the bottom of each article.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Nations
-Josh M

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According to the 2016 Canadian census, there are approximately 1.6 million first nations people, this includes status and non-status Indian's. This makes up 4.9% of the Canadian population, it is estimated to increase by 2.5 million over the next two decades. This consist of over 630 first nation communities, which represent more than 50 nations. Among these first nation communities, 133 are located in Ontario, with an estimated population of 236,685 people.

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What is the definition of a First Nations person?

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What is the definition of a First Nations person?

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https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/first-nations

First Nations is a term used to describe Indigenous peoples in Canada who are not Métis or  Inuit. First Nations people are original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada, and were the first to encounter sustained European contact, settlement and trade. According to the 2016 census by Statistics Canada, 977,230 people in Canada identified as being of First Nations heritage, a growth of 39.3 per cent since 2006. There are 634 First Nations in Canada, speaking more than 50 distinct languages.
I believe this to be a credible source of information as this website is constantly updated and the sourec of information the publisher used is taken directly from the 2016 census report. -Josh Best

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List of First Nations

For more detailed information about First Nations in Canada's provinces and territories, please see:

Terminology

First Nations is a term used to describe Indigenous peoples in Canada who are distinct from Métis or Inuit.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 declares that Aboriginal peoples (the legal term used for Indigenous peoples) in Canada include Indian (First Nations), Inuit and Métis peoples. First Nations people are sometimes known by other names, like Indians, Natives or Amerindians. These names may be problematic, as some have negative connotations. However, in Canada, the term Indian has specific legal contexts. The document governing the federal government's relationship with First Nations people is called the . As part of the Indian Act, the federal government maintains an Indian Register that is an official record of all First Nations people who are recognized as Status Indians.

Before the 1980s, the most popular term for a person of First Nations heritage in Canada was Indian. In 1980, hundreds of chiefs met in Ottawa and used First Nations for the first time in their Declaration of the First Nations. In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood became the Assembly of First Nations. They are a political voice for First Nations people in Canada. Symbolically, the term elevates First Nations to the status of "first among equals" as founding nations of Canada. It is reflective of the sovereign nature of many communities and the ongoing quest for self-determination and self-government. The term is not used by Indigenous peoples outside Canada.

First Nations should be used exclusively as a general term. Community members are more likely to define themselves as members of specific nations or communities within those nations. For example, a Kanyen'kehà:ka (Mohawk) person from Akwesasne who is a member of the Bear clan may choose any number of identifiers. These chosen identifiers would all be more accurate than "First Nations person" or "Indigenous person."

History

Indigenous peoples have been in Canada since time immemorial. They formed complex social, political, economic and cultural systems.

With colonization and white settlement, traditional Indigenous ways of life were forever altered. Colonial practices and policies sought to control and assimilate Indigenous peoples. These include the , pass system, reserves and residential schools. Combined with racism, segregation and loss of land, these practices and policies have negatively impacted Indigenous peoples in profound ways, including in terms of their health and socio-economic well-being. ( See also Social Conditions of Indigenous Peoples and Economic Conditions of Indigenous Peoples).

The final reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls speak to the ongoing work of reconciliation ( see Reconciliation in Canada).

Treaties

Many First Nations have signed treaties with the Crown. Treaties form the constitutional and moral basis of alliance between Indigenous peoples and Canada. While Métis and Inuit have distinct agreements with the federal government, historic treaties were signed almost exclusively with First Nations.

Treaties differ based upon the timeframe in which they were created and the reasons for their completion. Generally, these agreements allowed for the use of Indigenous lands by non-Indigenous peoples in exchange for annual payments, guaranteed rights and other benefits. Examples of treaties that cover large areas of land in Canada include the Peace and Friendship Treaties in the Maritime provinces and Gaspé region. The purpose of these treaties was to bring peace and trade relations. The federal government signed Numbered Treaties in the Prairies, Northwestern Ontario, the Northwest Territories and portions of the Yukon and British Columbia. The government wanted the Numbered Treaties to allow settlement in the west and gain Indigenous lands. First Nations who signed the Numbered Treaties were made promises, both orally and in writing, that were meant to protect their inherent rights and support them in the changing economy. ( See also Treaties with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.)

Population and Communities

First Nations people may live on or off reserve. Also, they may or may not have legal status under the . Even if they have legal status, they may or may not be registered members of a band or nation. Communities may be large or small, relatively urban or extremely remote and exist throughout Canada. Only the Gwich'in and Sahtu extend north of the Arctic Circle.

According to the 2021 census by Statistics Canada, 1,048,405 people in Canada identified as being First Nations. There are 630 First Nations communities in Canada, speaking more than 50 distinct languages.

Socio-Economic Conditions

Socio-economic conditions contribute to the well-being of all people. These include health, income, education, employment and community. Among First Nations peoples (as well as Indigenous peoples, in general), socio-economic conditions have been impacted by the dispossession of cultural traditions, social inequities, prejudice and discrimination. Progress has been made towards better socio-economic conditions. However, there are still gaps between the socio-economic conditions of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.

In July 2019, a report co-authored by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives revealed that 47 per cent of the 254,100 status First Nations children in Canada live in poverty. Nationally, status First Nations children are nearly four times more likely to live in poverty than non-Indigenous, non- racialized children. The authors of the report tracked child poverty using Statistics Canada's 2006 Census, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census. The study revealed differences in the poverty rate for status First Nations children living on-reserve (53 per cent) and those living off-reserve (41 per cent). ( See also Reserves.)

Poverty rates were highest on the Prairies. Status First Nations children in Manitoba and Saskatchewan living on reserves faced extreme poverty rates of 65 per cent. In comparison, recent studies reveal that non-Indigenous children in Manitoba have a poverty rate of 15 per cent. In Saskatchewan, these same children face a poverty rate of 16 per cent. In Quebec, the poverty rate for First Nations children living on reserves was lower at 29 per cent. This is most likely due to agreements between First Nations and the province to share natural resource revenues. In particular, these include Hydro-Québec revenues. The national poverty rate for the 4.5 million non-Indigenous, non- racialized children is 12 per cent.

Perry Bellegarde, who was the National Chief of the AFN at the time of the report, declared that "The findings of this report are shameful and underscore the urgent need to invest in First Nations children, families and communities. Our children face the worst social and economic conditions in the country.... It's beneficial to all Canadians to close the gap in quality of life between First Nations and Canada." The AFN and authors of Towards Justice believe that a "national poverty strategy" should be implemented immediately. It would tackle and reduce child poverty among Indigenous children. This plan would include self-determination for Indigenous peoples, increased government funding and resource revenue sharing arrangements between Indigenous peoples and government.

The 2021 Census revealed that nearly one in five Indigenous people in Canada live in a low-income household. This is less than in the 2016 Census. However, Statistics Canada argues the decline was likely the result of government transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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First Nation is one of three groupings of Indigenous people in Canada, the other two being Métis and Inuit. Unlike Métis and Inuit, most First Nations hold ...

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How many people in Ontario identify as First Nations? In Canada?

# data[].attributes.subject
How many people in Ontario identify as First Nations? In Canada?

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1602010609492/1602010631711
'Indigenous peoples' is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. More than 1.67 million people in Canada (4.9% of the population of Canada) self-identified as an Indigenous person on Canada's 2016 Census of Population. Ontario's population, it is home to the largest population of Indigenous peoples: 374, 395 individuals or 22% of the Indigenous population.
I believe this to be a credible source of information due to it being consistent and transparent with other sources of information such as https://www.ontario.ca, not only is it consistent with other sources of information it is also taken from a recent census report. -Josh Best

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This first annual report to Parliament is organized into three parts. Part 1 provides a broad overview of the socioeconomic gaps between First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, and the non-Indigenous population in Canada.

# data[].attributes.headline
How many First Nations are there in Ontario? Canada?

# data[].attributes.subject
How many First Nations are there in Ontario? Canada?

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1603371542837/1603371807037
Ontario is home to 23% of all Indigenous peoples in Canada. There are 133 First Nations communities located across Ontario, representing at least 7 major cultural and linguistic groups.
I believe this do be a credible source of information do to it being a professional website and the source being repeatable due to it being taken directly from the government of Canada's official website. -Josh Best

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Ontario is home to 23% of all Indigenous peoples in Canada. There are 133 First Nations communities located across Ontario, representing at least 7 major cultural and linguistic groups.

These communities are located from Windsor in the South to the Northern shores of Hudson Bay. Five of the 20 largest bands in Canada are located in Ontario, with Mohawks of Six Nations being the largest. Over 30 First Nations in Ontario are considered remote, accessible only by air year-round or ice road for much of the year. There are more remote First Nations in Ontario than any other region. Urban centers with significant Indigenous populations living off-reserve are found in in Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Ottawa and Toronto.

Related links

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There are 133 First Nations communities located across Ontario, representing at least 7 major cultural and linguistic groups.

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How many First Nations languages are spoken?

# data[].attributes.subject
How many First Nations languages are spoken?

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https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016022/98-200-x2016022-eng.cfm

More than 70 Aboriginal languages were reported in the 2016 Census.

These languages can be divided into 12 language families: Algonquian languages, Inuit languages, Athabaskan languages, Siouan languages, Salish languages, Tsimshian languages, Wakashan languages, Iroquoian languages, Michif, Tlingit, Kutenai and Haida.
I  believe my source of information to be accurate due to it being taken from the official government of Canada website. The source of information the government of Canada used to  gather how many First Nations languages are spoken was the 2016 Census report which is another reason why i do find it credible. -Josh Best

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Introduction

Language shapes the way that people think about and interact with the world. For many people, their ancestral language is integral to cultural expression and continuity. Aboriginal languages in Canada have been evolving in this land over generations and reflect rich and diverse histories, landscapes, cultures and knowledge. Many Aboriginal languages are unique to Canada, spoken nowhere else in the world. For these and countless other reasons, many Aboriginal people greatly value the preservation and revitalization of their languages. These languages are a significant part of the rich linguistic mosaic of Canada.

Past events have significantly harmed the vitality of Aboriginal languages in Canada. These include the residential school system, under which generations of Aboriginal children were not permitted to speak their Aboriginal mother tongues.Note 1 Today, as in the past, Aboriginal languages continue to be caught between the majority languages of English and French, which for many people are the dominant languages of work, education and everyday life. Several Aboriginal languages are now "endangered," with few speakers, although a few others are considered "viable" in the long term.Note 2

The 2016 Census is the most comprehensive data source on Aboriginal languages in Canada. This article provides a brief overview of the Aboriginal languages spoken by Inuit, First Nations people and Métis.

More than 70 Aboriginal languages are being spoken across Canada

More than 70 Aboriginal languages were reported in the 2016 Census.Note 3 Note 4 These languages can be divided into 12 language families: Algonquian languages, Inuit languages, Athabaskan languages, Siouan languages, Salish languages, Tsimshian languages, Wakashan languages, Iroquoian languages, Michif, Tlingit, Kutenai and Haida.

Aboriginal language families and main languages

PopulationTable 1 Note 1

Main provincial and territorial concentrations

CreeTable 1 Note 2

96,575

Saskatchewan (27.8%), Alberta (24.0%), Manitoba (21.6%), Quebec (18.0%)

In 2016, the Aboriginal language family with the most speakers was Algonquian, at 175,825. The Algonquian languages most often reported in 2016 were Cree languages (96,575),Note 5 Ojibway (28,130) and Oji‑Cree (15,585).

Speakers of Algonquian languages span a great expanse of Canada. For example, Cree speakers were fairly evenly distributed across Alberta (24.0%), Saskatchewan (27.8%), Manitoba (21.6%) and Quebec (18.0%). Mi'kmaq speakers were concentrated in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, while Blackfoot speakers were almost all in Alberta.

Inuit languages were the Aboriginal language family with the second‑largest number of speakers (42,065). Inuktitut was by far the most frequently reported language in this family, with 39,770 speakers, mainly concentrated in Nunavut and Quebec.

Within the Athabaskan language family, Dene was the most commonly reported language, with 13,005 speakers, mostly in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Taken together, speakers of languages in the Algonquian, Inuit and Athabaskan language families accounted for 92.6% of Aboriginal language speakers in Canada.

Five of the remaining Aboriginal language families (Salish languages, Tsimshian languages, Wakashan languages, Haida and Kutenai) were primarily found in British Columbia. British Columbia is home to a large number of Aboriginal languages; however, many had relatively few speakers (all fewer than 1,500).

Speakers of Siouan languages were concentrated primarily in Alberta and Manitoba. Stoney, with 3,665 speakers, was found almost entirely in Alberta (99.3%).

Iroquoian languages were spoken in Ontario and Quebec. The most commonly reported language in this family was Mohawk, spoken by 2,350 people.

Michif is a language that developed among Métis and that combines French and Cree. In 2016, 1,170 people reported speaking Michif well enough to conduct a conversation. They were concentrated mainly in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Tlingit had relatively few speakers (255), mostly in Yukon.

The number of Aboriginal people who can speak an Aboriginal language is higher than the number who have it as a mother tongue

In 2016, 15.6% of the Aboriginal population reported being able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language. This is compared with 21.4% in 2006. While the percentage of the Aboriginal population able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language declined between 2006 and 2016, the number of people in the Aboriginal population who could speak an Aboriginal language increased by 3.1%.

In addition to the ability to speak an Aboriginal language, the census collected information on mother tongue.Note 6 Mother tongue is defined as the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood. In 2016, 12.5% of the Aboriginal population reported an Aboriginal mother tongue (either as a single response or in combination with another language, such as English or French).

In 2016, as in previous censuses, the number of Aboriginal people able to speak an Aboriginal language (260,550) exceeded the number who reported having an Aboriginal mother tongue (208,720). This is evidence that people are learning Aboriginal languages as second languages. Learning an Aboriginal language at home in childhood as a primary language is a crucial element of the long‑term viability of Aboriginal languages.Note 7 However, second‑language learning can be an important part of language revitalization, and efforts to preserve and revitalize Aboriginal languages through second‑language learning are underway across the country. These efforts include incorporating Aboriginal language instruction in classrooms, creating standard orthographies and developing language immersion programs.

Nearly two in three Inuit can conduct a conversation in an Inuit language

In 2016, 41,650 Inuit reported speaking an Inuit language well enough to conduct a conversation, representing 64.0% of Inuit. The Inuit language spoken by the largest number of Inuit was Inuktitut, with 39,475 Inuit speakers. This was followed by Inuinnaqtun (1,310), Inuvialuktun (595) and other Inuit languages (350).

Most Inuit (72.8%) were living in Inuit Nunangat. Inuit Nunangat, meaning "the Inuit homeland," is made up of four regions: the Inuvialuit region of the Northwest Territories, the territory of Nunavut, Nunavik in northern Quebec, and Nunatsiavut in Newfoundland and Labrador. Overall, 83.9% of Inuit in Inuit Nunangat reported being able to speak an Inuit language.

The percentages of Inuit able to converse in an Inuit language differed between the four regions. The vast majority of Inuit living in Nunavik (99.2%) were able to conduct a conversation in Inuktitut. In Nunavut, 89.1% of Inuit could conduct a conversation in an Inuit language. By contrast, 21.4% of Inuit in Nunatsiavut could speak an Inuit language. In the Inuvialuit region, 22.0% of Inuit could speak an Inuit language, mainly Inuvialuktun and Inuinnaqtun.

Outside Inuit Nunangat, 10.9% of Inuit reported speaking an Inuit language well enough to conduct a conversation.

Data table for Chart 1

Region

Percent

Inuit Nunangat

83.9

Nunatsiavut

21.4

Nunavik

99.2

Nunavut

89.1

Inuvialuit region

22.0

Outside Inuit Nunangat

10.9

Younger Inuit are learning Inuit languages as second languages

Among Inuit, a higher percentage of seniors reported having an Aboriginal language as their mother tongue, compared with younger generations. In 2016, 60.6% of Inuit seniors aged 65 years and older reported having an Aboriginal mother tongue, compared with 55.8% of Inuit children aged 0 to 14.

In all age groups, the percentage of Inuit who could speak an Aboriginal language was higher than the percentage with an Aboriginal mother tongue. While 55.8% of Inuit children aged 0 to 14 had an Aboriginal mother tongue, 65.2% could converse in an Aboriginal language. This indicates that many Inuit, particularly younger Inuit, are learning Aboriginal languages as second languages. Indeed, the percentage of Inuit children aged 0 to 14 who could speak an Aboriginal language (65.2%) exceeded the percentage of Inuit seniors who could speak an Aboriginal language (61.3%).

Age group

Total Inuit identity population

Can conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language

Has an Aboriginal mother tongue

number

number

percent

number

percent

About one in five First Nations people can converse in an Aboriginal language

In 2016, 207,755 First Nations people reported being able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language, representing 21.3% of the First Nations population. A higher percentage of the First Nations population with Registered Indian status could converse in an Aboriginal language (27.3%), compared with the First Nations population without Registered Indian status (1.9%).

In 2016, 44.2% of the First Nations population with Registered Indian status were living on reserve. However, among the First Nations population with Registered Indian status who could speak an Aboriginal language, 72.7% were living on reserve. The overwhelming majority of on‑reserve residents are First Nations people, and it may be easier to learn an Aboriginal language and maintain knowledge of it in an area with a high concentration of other speakers. In 2016, a higher percentage of First Nations people with Registered Indian status living on reserve were able to speak an Aboriginal language (44.9%), compared with those living off reserve (13.4%).

The Aboriginal languages spoken by the largest number of First Nations people were Cree languages, Ojibway, Oji‑Cree, Dene and Montagnais (Innu).

Data table for Chart 2

Percent

With Registered Indian status, living on reserve

44.9

With Registered Indian status, living off reserve

13.4

Without Registered Indian status

1.9

A higher percentage of First Nations seniors can converse in an Aboriginal language

Older First Nations people were more likely to be able to speak an Aboriginal language than their younger counterparts. Seniors aged 65 and older were those most likely to speak an Aboriginal language. In each subsequent younger age group, the percentage of First Nations people who could speak an Aboriginal language declined. In 2016, 35.6% of First Nations seniors could speak an Aboriginal language, compared with 24.5% in the 25‑to‑64 age group, 16.5% in the 15‑to‑24 age group, and 15.8% in the 0‑to‑14 age group.

However, it is important to note that the First Nations population is young-in 2016, there were more than four times as many First Nations children (285,825) as seniors (62,070). As a result, there were twice as many First Nations children (45,135) as seniors (22,125) who could speak an Aboriginal language.

Age group

Total First Nations identity population

Can conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language

Has an Aboriginal mother tongue

number

number

percent

number

percent

One in three First Nations seniors (33.3%) reported having an Aboriginal mother tongue in 2016. By comparison, about 1 in 10 First Nations children aged 0 to 14 (10.7%) had an Aboriginal mother tongue.

In all age groups, the percentage of First Nations people who could speak an Aboriginal language surpassed the percentage with an Aboriginal mother tongue. As with Inuit, this is evidence that many First Nations people are learning Aboriginal languages as second languages. This was the case particularly among young First Nations people.

Less than 2% of Métis speak an Aboriginal language

In 2016, 9,710 Métis, or 1.7% of the Métis population, reported being able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language. More than half of Métis who reported speaking an Aboriginal language spoke Cree languages (5,960), followed by Dene (1,555), Michif (1,030) and Ojibway (685).

In 2016, 40.1% of Métis who reported speaking an Aboriginal language were living in Saskatchewan, 31.7% in Alberta and 9.6% in Manitoba.

Métis seniors are more likely to speak an Aboriginal language

In 2016, a higher percentage of Métis seniors reported an Aboriginal mother tongue and the ability to speak an Aboriginal language, compared with their younger counterparts. Unlike Inuit and First Nations, Métis seniors aged 65 and older also outnumbered Métis children aged 0 to 14 among Aboriginal language speakers.

Age group

Total Métis identity population

Can conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language

Has an Aboriginal mother tongue

number

number

percent

number

percent

Data sources Methods Definitions

Additional information

Additional analysis on Aboriginal peoples can be found in The Daily of October 25, 2017, and in the Census in Brief articles entitled Diverse family characteristics of Aboriginal children aged 0 to 4, Catalogue no. 98‑200‑X2016020, and The housing conditions of Aboriginal people in Canada, Catalogue no. 98‑200‑X2016021.

Additional information on the Aboriginal population can be found in the Highlight tables, Catalogue no. 98‑402‑X2016009; the Data tables, Catalogue nos. 98‑400‑X2016154 to 98‑400‑X2016180; the Census Profile, Catalogue no. 98‑316‑X2016001; and the Focus on Geography Series, Catalogue no. 98‑404‑X2016001.

An infographic entitled The Aboriginal population in Canada illustrates the demographic growth of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations and touches on Aboriginal languages in Canada.

For details on the concepts, definitions and variables used in the 2016 Census of Population, please consult the Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016, Catalogue no. 98‑301‑X.

In addition to response rates and other data quality information, the Guide to the Census of Population, 2016, Catalogue no. 98‑304‑X, provides an overview of the various phases of the census including content determination, sampling design, collection, data processing, data quality assessment, confidentiality guidelines and dissemination.

Acknowledgments

This report was prepared by Vivian O'Donnell and Thomas Anderson of Statistics Canada's Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, with the assistance of other staff members in that division, and the collaboration of staff members of the Census Subject Matter Secretariat, Census Operations Division, and Communications and Dissemination Branch.

Notes

Note 1.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 2015. Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Note 2.

Norris, M.J. 2007. "Aboriginal languages in Canada: Emerging trends and perspectives on second language acquisition." Canadian Social Trends. No. 83. May. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11‑008‑X.

Note 3.

The number of Aboriginal languages has increased from previous census years because of several factors. Respondents who filled out the questionnaire online were prompted to provide more specific language information. For example, if a respondent filled in "Cree," he or she may have then provided a more specific name upon prompting, such as "Woods Cree." The population threshold for speakers of specific languages was lowered to 45, allowing for a greater number of languages to be reported.

Note 4.

Some Indian reserves and settlements did not participate in the 2016 Census as enumeration was either not permitted or it was interrupted before completion. As a result, some estimates in this document may be underestimated, especially for First Nations people.

Note 5.

While some respondents reported "Cree," several others reported more specific languages, including Plains Cree, Woods Cree, Swampy Cree, Northern East Cree, Moose Cree and Southern East Cree.

Note 6.

The 2016 Census also collected information on Aboriginal languages spoken at home. For more information, see the census release of August 2, 2017, on language.

Note 7.

Norris, M.J. 2007. "Aboriginal languages in Canada: Emerging trends and perspectives on second language acquisition." Canadian Social Trends. No. 83. May. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11‑008‑X.

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Census in Brief: The Aboriginal languages of First Nations people, Métis and Inuit

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This Census in Brief article provides detailed information about Aboriginal languages spoken by Aboriginal people, including the regional distribution of each Aboriginal language family. Comparisons between the counts of Aboriginal language speakers and the counts of people with an Aboriginal mother tongue are provided. Results are presented for First Nations people, Métis and Inuit.

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What does it mean to have status or be non-status? 

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What does it mean to have status or be non-status? 

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https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100014433/1535469348029
"Non-Status Indians" commonly refers to people who identify themselves as Indians but who are not entitled to registration on the Indian Register pursuant to the Indian Act. Some may however be members of a First Nation band.

The Minister works with Métis and non-status Indian organizations, as well as with provincial governments where appropriate, to find practical ways to improve the quality of life of Métis and non-status Indians.
I believe that this is a reliable source due to it being taken from the official government of Canada website and the author of this trying to inform others on what "Non Indian Status" means.
-Josh Best

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"Non-Status Indians" commonly refers to people who identify themselves as Indians but who are not entitled to registration on the Indian Register pursuant to the Indian Act. Some may however be members of a First Nation band.

The Minister works with Métis and non-status Indian organizations, as well as with provincial governments where appropriate, to find practical ways to improve the quality of life of Métis and non-status Indians.

You may also be interested in:

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“Non-Status Indians” commonly refers to people who identify themselves as Indians but who are not entitled to registration on the Indian Register pursuant to the Indian Act. Some may however be members of a First Nation band.

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https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016022/98-200-x2016022-eng.cfm#:~:text=More%20than%2070%20Aboriginal%20languages%20are%20being%20spoken%20across%20Canada

There is 70 different languages spoken in the First Nations community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Census in Brief: The Aboriginal languages of First Nations people, Métis and Inuit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Census in Brief article provides detailed information about Aboriginal languages spoken by Aboriginal people, including the regional distribution of each Aboriginal language family. Comparisons between the counts of Aboriginal language speakers and the counts of people with an Aboriginal mother…

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Canada has the biggest population of indigenous of (375,395). Indigenous population makes up 2.8% in Ontario. 78% of First Nations communities in Ontario are in Northern Ontario . Ontario has the largest population of first nations in Canada (24%)

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Demographics

Ontario has the largest Indigenous population in Canada (374,395). The second largest Indigenous population is in British Columbia (270,580).

The Indigenous population in Ontario increased by 54 per cent from 2006 to 2016. There are two explanations for the large growth in the Indigenous population: natural growth and an increase in people voluntarily self-identifying as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis.

Indigenous people represent 2.8 per cent of the total population of Ontario.

Thunder Bay is the Census Metropolitan Area with the highest proportion of Indigenous people in Canada (12.7 per cent of the population).

The average age of the Indigenous population is 33.6 years compared to 40.7 years for the non-Indigenous population in Ontario.

Ontario has the largest First Nations population in Canada (236,685 or 24 per cent of the total First Nations population in Canada).

There are 120,585 self-identifying Métis people in Ontario, which is a 40 per cent increase from 2011 and an increase of 64 per cent since 2006.

With a population of 3,860, the Inuit represent 1 per cent of the total Indigenous population in Ontario.

133 First Nation communities are located in Ontario, the second-highest number in Canada after British Columbia (source: Chiefs of Ontario).

78 per cent of First Nation communities in Ontario are located in Northern Ontario.

1 in 4 First Nation communities in Ontario is a remote community, accessible only by air year-round or by ice road in the winter. Ontario has the highest number of remote First Nation communities in Canada.

23 per cent of First Nations people in Ontario live on reserve.

Of the 58,100 people living on reserve in Ontario, 93 per cent identify as First Nations. Approximately 7 per cent identify as Métis, Inuit, other Indigenous or non-Indigenous.

**The original Census statistics uses "Aboriginal" rather than "Indigenous" to refer to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people.

*** All statistics are based on self-identification as Indigenous.

**** While the Census of Population is the most comprehensive data source available, some Indigenous organizations question the cultural appropriateness of the methodology used by Statistics Canada for the Census, resulting in possible over- and under-counting of certain Indigenous populations.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population

Socio-economic indicators:

Income:

The median annual income for Indigenous people in Ontario (aged 25-64) is $33,218 ($30,819 after-tax) compared to $42,564 for the non-Indigenous population ($37,779 after-tax).

The prevalence of low incomes for the Indigenous population in Ontario (aged 25-64) is 21 per cent, which is higher than the rate for the non-Indigenous population at 13 per cent.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population

Education:

The high school completion rate of Indigenous people (aged 20-24) is 76 per cent, below the rate of the non-Indigenous population at 93 per cent. For First Nations living on reserve, the rate is 45 per cent.

53 per cent of the Indigenous population vs. 65 per cent of the non-Indigenous population in Ontario (aged 25-64) has attained some form of post-secondary education (apprenticeship, trades certificate, diploma, college or university).

13 per cent of Indigenous people in Ontario hold a university degree (aged 25-64), up from 9 per cent in 2006.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population

Life expectancy:

Life expectancy for Indigenous people remained about 10 years lower than for the non-Indigenous population (71 years compared to 81 years).

Source: Statistics Canada, Vital Statistics custom tabulation

Justice system involvement:

The 2017 Independent Review of Ontario Corrections found that "Indigenous peoples account for approximately 2 per cent of Ontario's population and yet in 2016 represented 13 per cent of those in provincial custody. One in three Indigenous people admitted to Ontario's correctional institutions last year, and over half of the Indigenous people admitted to segregation, were flagged with a suicide risk alert. Both of these rates are higher than in the non-Indigenous population."

Rates of Indigenous incarceration appear to be especially high in northern Ontario. Renu Mandhane, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, speaking with CBC News in February 2017, claimed that 90 per cent of inmates in the provincial correctional centre in Kenora were Indigenous.

Source: Statistics Canada, Adult correctional services

The Indigenous population figures do not include the residents of eight Ontario First Nations reserves that were incompletely enumerated in or omitted from the 2016 Census.

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Indigenous peoples in Ontario | In the Spirit of Reconciliation: Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation's first 10 years

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Ontario has the largest Indigenous population in Canada (374,395). The second largest Indigenous population is in British Columbia (270,580). The Indigenous population in Ontario increased by 54 per cent from 2006 to 2016. There are two explanations for the large growth in the Indigenous population: natural growth and an increase in people voluntarily self-identifying as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis.

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https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1100100032463/1572459644986

https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100014433/1535469348029

Indian status is the legal status of a person who is registered as an Indian under the Indian Act. "Non-Status Indians" commonly refers to people who identify themselves as Indians but who are not entitled to registration on the Indian Register pursuant to the Indian Act.
This website is a credible source because it is made by Canada Government officially. Especially, meets Current (modified in Oct 2021), Reliable, and Accurate. As it is an official government website, so there is no need to explain its credibility anymore.

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Indian Registry System (IRS) / Certificate of Indian Status (CIS)

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First Nations is a term used to describe Indigenous peoples in Canada who are not Métis or Inuit. First Nations people are original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada, and were the first to encounter sustained European contact, settlement and trade. I believe this is a credible source because the site has a long standing history of being reliable as well as it only informing and not trying to persuade.

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Terminology

First Nations is a term used to describe Indigenous peoples in Canada (sometime referred to as Aboriginal peoples) who are not Métis or Inuit.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 declares that Aboriginal peoples in Canada include Indian (First Nations), Inuit and Métis peoples. First Nations people are often known by other names, like Indians, Natives or Amerindians. These names may be problematic, as some have negative connotations, while others ( Indian in particular) have specific legal meanings in Canada. Using any general term almost always requires further clarification. For the most part, First Nations people are Status or Treaty Indians registered with their home reserve, band or community.

"First Nations" should be used exclusively as a general term, as community members are more likely to define themselves as members of specific nations, or communities within those nations. For example, a Mohawk (Kanienkehaka) person from Akwesasne who is a member of the Bear clan may choose any number of identifiers, which would all be more accurate than simply "First Nations person" "Indigenous." When discussing groups of people from differing backgrounds, it is appropriate to use First Nations as a general group name, (e.g., a group of First Nations chiefs) provided that there are no Inuit or Métis members.

Before the 1980s, the most popular term for a person of First Nations heritage in Canada was Indian. In 1980, hundreds of chiefs met in Ottawa and used "First Nations" for the first time in their Declaration of the First Nations. In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood became the Assembly of First Nations, the political voice for First Nations people in Canada. Symbolically, the term elevates First Nations to the status of "first among equals" alongside the English and French as founding nations of Canada. It is also reflective of the sovereign nature of many communities, and the ongoing quest for self-determination and self-government. The term is not used by Indigenous peoples outside Canada.

History

Indigenous peoples have been in Canada since time immemorial. They formed complex social, political, economic and cultural systems before Europeans came to North America.

With colonization and white settlement, traditional Indigenous ways of life were forever altered. Colonial practices and policies, such as the , pass system, reserves and residential schools, sought to control and assimilate Indigenous peoples. These have had historic and ongoing impacts on generations of Indigenous peoples.

Such practices and polices, when combined with racism, acts of segregation, loss of land, and declining or unequal access to food resources and public services, have had devastating consequences on the health and socio-economic well-being of Indigenous peoples. ( See also Social Conditions of Indigenous Peoples and Economic Conditions of Indigenous Peoples.)

The final reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women speak to ongoing work of reconciliation.

Treaties

Many First Nations have signed treaties with the Crown. These agreements have allowed for the use of Indigenous lands in exchange for annual payments and/or other benefits. Treaties form the constitutional and moral basis of alliance between Indigenous peoples and Canada.

Population and Communities

First Nations people may live on or off reserve, they may or may not have legal status under the , and they may or may not be registered members of a band or nation. Communities may be large or small, and relatively urban or extremely remote, and exist throughout Canada, though only the Gwich'in and Sahtu extend north of the Arctic Circle.

According to the 2016 census by Statistics Canada, 977,230 people in Canada identified as being of First Nations heritage. There are 634 First Nations communities in Canada, speaking more than 50 distinct languages.

Socio-Economic Conditions

Socio-economic conditions, including health, income, education, employment and community, contribute to the well-being of all people. Among First Nations peoples (as well as Indigenous peoples, in general), socio-economic conditions have been impacted by the dispossession of cultural traditions, social inequities, prejudice and discrimination. While progress with respect to socio-economic conditions is being achieved, gaps between the socio-economic conditions of Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people in Canada persist.

In July 2019, a report co-authored by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives revealed that 47 per cent of the 254,100 status First Nations children in Canada live in poverty. Nationally, status First Nations children are nearly four times more likely to live in poverty than non-Indigenous, non-racialized children. The study, titled Towards Justice: Tackling Indigenous Child Poverty in Canada, was published by Upstream Institute, a national communication think tank. The authors of the report, Natasha Beedie, David Macdonald and Daniel Wilson tracked child poverty using Statistics Canada 's 2006 Census, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census.The also study revealed differences in the poverty rate for status First Nations children living on-reserve (53 per cent) and those living off-reserve (41 per cent). ( See also Reserves.)

Poverty rates were highest on the Prairies, with status First Nations children in Manitoba and Saskatchewan living on reserves facing extreme poverty rates of 65 per cent. In comparison, recent studies reveal that non-Indigenous children in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have poverty rates of 15 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively. In Quebec, the poverty rate for First Nations children living on reserves has fallen to 29 per cent, most likely due to the results of agreements between First Nations and the province to share natural resource revenues (such as Hydro-Québec revenues). The national poverty rate for the 4.5 million non-Indigenous children (not including racialized and recent immigrant children), the biggest group in the country, is 12 per cent.

AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde declared that "The findings of this report are shameful and underscore the urgent need to invest in First Nations children, families and communities. Our children face the worst social and economic conditions in the country.... It's beneficial to all Canadians to close the gap in quality of life between First Nations and Canada." The AFN and authors of Towards Justice believe that a "national poverty strategy," with self-determination for Indigenous peoples, increased government funding and resource revenue sharing arrangements between Indigenous peoples and government, should be implemented immediately to tackle and reduce child poverty among Indigenous children.

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First Nations is a term used to describe Indigenous peoples in Canada (sometime referred to as Aboriginal peoples) who are not Métis or Inuit. Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 declares that Aboriginal peoples in Canada include Indian (First Nations), Inuit and Métis peoples.

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to register for Indian status under the Indian act of Canada is based on the degree of descent from ancestors who were registered or were entitled to be registered. For an individual to be eligible for status, at least one of their parents must be registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian act or two parents are registered under the Indian act.

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Status and Non-Status – Who qualifies for Status? – The Health of Canada’s Children and Youth

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First nations is a term that refers to canadians who are neither metis or inuit

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List of First Nations

For more detailed information about First Nations in Canada's provinces and territories, please see:

Terminology

First Nations is a term used to describe Indigenous peoples in Canada who are distinct from Métis or Inuit.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 declares that Aboriginal peoples (the legal term used for Indigenous peoples) in Canada include Indian (First Nations), Inuit and Métis peoples. First Nations people are sometimes known by other names, like Indians, Natives or Amerindians. These names may be problematic, as some have negative connotations. However, in Canada, the term Indian has specific legal contexts. The document governing the federal government's relationship with First Nations people is called the . As part of the Indian Act, the federal government maintains an Indian Register that is an official record of all First Nations people who are recognized as Status Indians.

Before the 1980s, the most popular term for a person of First Nations heritage in Canada was Indian. In 1980, hundreds of chiefs met in Ottawa and used First Nations for the first time in their Declaration of the First Nations. In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood became the Assembly of First Nations. They are a political voice for First Nations people in Canada. Symbolically, the term elevates First Nations to the status of "first among equals" as founding nations of Canada. It is reflective of the sovereign nature of many communities and the ongoing quest for self-determination and self-government. The term is not used by Indigenous peoples outside Canada.

First Nations should be used exclusively as a general term. Community members are more likely to define themselves as members of specific nations or communities within those nations. For example, a Kanyen'kehà:ka (Mohawk) person from Akwesasne who is a member of the Bear clan may choose any number of identifiers. These chosen identifiers would all be more accurate than "First Nations person" or "Indigenous person."

History

Indigenous peoples have been in Canada since time immemorial. They formed complex social, political, economic and cultural systems.

With colonization and white settlement, traditional Indigenous ways of life were forever altered. Colonial practices and policies sought to control and assimilate Indigenous peoples. These include the , pass system, reserves and residential schools. Combined with racism, segregation and loss of land, these practices and policies have negatively impacted Indigenous peoples in profound ways, including in terms of their health and socio-economic well-being. ( See also Social Conditions of Indigenous Peoples and Economic Conditions of Indigenous Peoples).

The final reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls speak to the ongoing work of reconciliation ( see Reconciliation in Canada).

Treaties

Many First Nations have signed treaties with the Crown. Treaties form the constitutional and moral basis of alliance between Indigenous peoples and Canada. While Métis and Inuit have distinct agreements with the federal government, historic treaties were signed almost exclusively with First Nations.

Treaties differ based upon the timeframe in which they were created and the reasons for their completion. Generally, these agreements allowed for the use of Indigenous lands by non-Indigenous peoples in exchange for annual payments, guaranteed rights and other benefits. Examples of treaties that cover large areas of land in Canada include the Peace and Friendship Treaties in the Maritime provinces and Gaspé region. The purpose of these treaties was to bring peace and trade relations. The federal government signed Numbered Treaties in the Prairies, Northwestern Ontario, the Northwest Territories and portions of the Yukon and British Columbia. The government wanted the Numbered Treaties to allow settlement in the west and gain Indigenous lands. First Nations who signed the Numbered Treaties were made promises, both orally and in writing, that were meant to protect their inherent rights and support them in the changing economy. ( See also Treaties with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.)

Population and Communities

First Nations people may live on or off reserve. Also, they may or may not have legal status under the . Even if they have legal status, they may or may not be registered members of a band or nation. Communities may be large or small, relatively urban or extremely remote and exist throughout Canada. Only the Gwich'in and Sahtu extend north of the Arctic Circle.

According to the 2021 census by Statistics Canada, 1,048,405 people in Canada identified as being First Nations. There are 630 First Nations communities in Canada, speaking more than 50 distinct languages.

Socio-Economic Conditions

Socio-economic conditions contribute to the well-being of all people. These include health, income, education, employment and community. Among First Nations peoples (as well as Indigenous peoples, in general), socio-economic conditions have been impacted by the dispossession of cultural traditions, social inequities, prejudice and discrimination. Progress has been made towards better socio-economic conditions. However, there are still gaps between the socio-economic conditions of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.

In July 2019, a report co-authored by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives revealed that 47 per cent of the 254,100 status First Nations children in Canada live in poverty. Nationally, status First Nations children are nearly four times more likely to live in poverty than non-Indigenous, non- racialized children. The authors of the report tracked child poverty using Statistics Canada's 2006 Census, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census. The study revealed differences in the poverty rate for status First Nations children living on-reserve (53 per cent) and those living off-reserve (41 per cent). ( See also Reserves.)

Poverty rates were highest on the Prairies. Status First Nations children in Manitoba and Saskatchewan living on reserves faced extreme poverty rates of 65 per cent. In comparison, recent studies reveal that non-Indigenous children in Manitoba have a poverty rate of 15 per cent. In Saskatchewan, these same children face a poverty rate of 16 per cent. In Quebec, the poverty rate for First Nations children living on reserves was lower at 29 per cent. This is most likely due to agreements between First Nations and the province to share natural resource revenues. In particular, these include Hydro-Québec revenues. The national poverty rate for the 4.5 million non-Indigenous, non- racialized children is 12 per cent.

Perry Bellegarde, who was the National Chief of the AFN at the time of the report, declared that "The findings of this report are shameful and underscore the urgent need to invest in First Nations children, families and communities. Our children face the worst social and economic conditions in the country.... It's beneficial to all Canadians to close the gap in quality of life between First Nations and Canada." The AFN and authors of Towards Justice believe that a "national poverty strategy" should be implemented immediately. It would tackle and reduce child poverty among Indigenous children. This plan would include self-determination for Indigenous peoples, increased government funding and resource revenue sharing arrangements between Indigenous peoples and government.

The 2021 Census revealed that nearly one in five Indigenous people in Canada live in a low-income household. This is less than in the 2016 Census. However, Statistics Canada argues the decline was likely the result of government transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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First Nation is one of three groupings of Indigenous people in Canada, the other two being Métis and Inuit. Unlike Métis and Inuit, most First Nations hold ...

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There are anywhere between 52 and 70 languages indigenous to what is now called Canada (depending on how you count them). Only three are expected to survive this century. But many people are working hard to change that.
I believe that this information is true because it is from the university of Toronto.

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National Aboriginal Day is a chance to educate and reflect on the lives and status of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

To recognize this day, Suzanne L. Stewart, interim director of the Indigenous Education Initiative at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Jean-Paul Restoule, associate professor of Aboriginal Education, have compiled a list of 12 things the average Canadian should know about Indigenous people in Canada.

1. Who are Indigenous peoples?
There are about 1.4 million people of Indigenous ancestry in Canada, refering to three distinct cultural groups of original inhabitants:
2. Where do Indigenous people live?

First Nations (status and non-status Indians)

Metis (a culture born of the mixing of elements of First Nations and European settlers, primarily French and Scottish. While having roots in the Great Lakes, it flourished most prominently in the Red River Valley.)

Inuit (peoples from far northern territories)

3. First Ride Share in Canada

Ontario has the largest concentration of Indigenous people- almost 250,000

Six Nations of The Grand River is the largest reserve in Canada, with over 21,000 members

Over 60% of the national Indigenous population lives in urban areas

4. Signing Up for Battle
The original ride share service in Canada was at the mouth of the Humber where Indigenous people left canoes for anyone travelling upriver to use. People coming downriver in turn left canoes for others to use.
5. How many languages?
Indigenous people joined the Canadian world war efforts in greater numbers per capita than any other subpopulation of Canada, primarily to defend "the land," and not necessarily the nation nor Europe's reasons for conflict.
6. Suicide rates - 7x higher among First Nations youth
There are anywhere between 52 and 70 languages indigenous to what is now called Canada (depending on how you count them). Only three are expected to survive this century. But many people are working hard to change that.
7. Clean water
Suicide rates among First Nations youth are up to seven times higher than among non-Indigenous youth. This tragic reality was highlighted in April 2016 when five children tried to take their own lives on a Friday night at the Attawapiskat First Nation. Twenty-eight of its community members also attempted suicide a month earlier.
8. The truth about taxes
Close to 20 per cent of First Nations communities are under a drinking water advisory, a stat that has remained remarkably consistent for the past 25 years.

Most Aboriginal people pay Canadian taxes. Tax exemptions are accorded only to certain Aboriginal people (status Indians) under particular circumstances (usually if the goods are purchased on or delivered to a reserve or in the case of employment income, it is earned on a reserve).

Dispelling the Myth: Indigenous people do not get free post-secondary education, generally speaking.

9. Life before Europeans arrived

Prior to the arrival and settlement of European immigrants, Indigenous people had complex and successful knowledge systems and practices about land systems, sciences, mathematics, clans, politics, physical and mental health, and food security that provided healthy and abundant livelihood for millions of peoples for tens of thousands of years.

10. Are non-Indigenous Canadians affected by treaties? How?

Treaties between the Federal Government of Canada and First Nations are still important and binding today.

Treaties are not only for Indigenous peoples - Canadians have treaty rights and responsibilities too but don't often think of them.

Most Canadians live in a treaty area and where they don't they are on unceded Indigenous lands.
11. How did the Indian Act of 1876 change the lives of Indigenous peoples?
More than 70 historical treaties were negotiated by the Federal Government of Canada with First Nations and Métis peoples between 1701 and 1923. The first Modern Treaty to be signed was on November 11, 1975, the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (Parks Canada, 2016).
12. Residential Schools: Canada's Horrific- and Not So Distant- Past
Most Canadians don't know that most Indigenous peoples' lives are governed by federal laws under the Indian Act of 1876, which continue today. This affects Indigenous peoples' access to health care, education, housing, clean drinking water, and many other things that non-Indigenous Canadians often take for granted.

Education was used as a tool of oppression for Indigenous peoples through Indian residential schools, an extensive school system set up by the Federal government. They were administered by churches from the early 1920s to the mid-1990s.

The goals of residential schools was, according to the Indian Act, "To kill the Indian in the child" and was based on the premise that Aboriginal cultures were inferior to White Christian ones.

Canadian Indigenous children were forcibly removed, often by the Indian Agent or the RCMP, from their families and communities and shipped to the schools and kept for months and years.

Many children experienced sexual abuse, corporal punishment for speaking their language, and were instilled with beliefs that being Indigenous was bad.

In 2006 the Federal Government began a process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples for the harms suffered and treatments experienced by survivors of Residential School through the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which released its final report in 2015.

Where do things stand now in terms of education? It will take about 20 years to close the education gap between First Nations and other Canadians, if action to make changes is taken.

Some factors that contribute to this situation are:

There are 40 First Nation communities without schools

There are First Nation communities where children haven't been to school in more than two years

The K-12 completion rate for First Nation students living on-reserve is 49%

First Nation students are more likely to end up in jail than to graduate high school

First Nation students attending on-reserve schools are funded at a rate of $3,000 - $7,000 less than students attending other schools in Canada (AFN, 2011).

There are almost 600 unresolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada (AFN, 2011).

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National Aboriginal Day: 12 things you need to know

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National Aboriginal Day is a chance to educate and reflect on the lives and status of Indigenous peoples in Canada. To recognize this day, Suzanne L. Stewart, interim director of the Indigenous Education Initiative at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Jean-Paul Restoule, associate professor of Aboriginal Education, have compiled a list of 12 things the average Canadian should know about Indigenous people in Canada.

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First Nations is a term referring to Indigenous Peoples in Canada that are neither Metis or Inuit. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/first-nations

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List of First Nations

For more detailed information about First Nations in Canada's provinces and territories, please see:

Terminology

First Nations is a term used to describe Indigenous peoples in Canada who are distinct from Métis or Inuit.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 declares that Aboriginal peoples (the legal term used for Indigenous peoples) in Canada include Indian (First Nations), Inuit and Métis peoples. First Nations people are sometimes known by other names, like Indians, Natives or Amerindians. These names may be problematic, as some have negative connotations. However, in Canada, the term Indian has specific legal contexts. The document governing the federal government's relationship with First Nations people is called the . As part of the Indian Act, the federal government maintains an Indian Register that is an official record of all First Nations people who are recognized as Status Indians.

Before the 1980s, the most popular term for a person of First Nations heritage in Canada was Indian. In 1980, hundreds of chiefs met in Ottawa and used First Nations for the first time in their Declaration of the First Nations. In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood became the Assembly of First Nations. They are a political voice for First Nations people in Canada. Symbolically, the term elevates First Nations to the status of "first among equals" as founding nations of Canada. It is reflective of the sovereign nature of many communities and the ongoing quest for self-determination and self-government. The term is not used by Indigenous peoples outside Canada.

First Nations should be used exclusively as a general term. Community members are more likely to define themselves as members of specific nations or communities within those nations. For example, a Kanyen'kehà:ka (Mohawk) person from Akwesasne who is a member of the Bear clan may choose any number of identifiers. These chosen identifiers would all be more accurate than "First Nations person" or "Indigenous person."

History

Indigenous peoples have been in Canada since time immemorial. They formed complex social, political, economic and cultural systems.

With colonization and white settlement, traditional Indigenous ways of life were forever altered. Colonial practices and policies sought to control and assimilate Indigenous peoples. These include the , pass system, reserves and residential schools. Combined with racism, segregation and loss of land, these practices and policies have negatively impacted Indigenous peoples in profound ways, including in terms of their health and socio-economic well-being. ( See also Social Conditions of Indigenous Peoples and Economic Conditions of Indigenous Peoples).

The final reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls speak to the ongoing work of reconciliation ( see Reconciliation in Canada).

Treaties

Many First Nations have signed treaties with the Crown. Treaties form the constitutional and moral basis of alliance between Indigenous peoples and Canada. While Métis and Inuit have distinct agreements with the federal government, historic treaties were signed almost exclusively with First Nations.

Treaties differ based upon the timeframe in which they were created and the reasons for their completion. Generally, these agreements allowed for the use of Indigenous lands by non-Indigenous peoples in exchange for annual payments, guaranteed rights and other benefits. Examples of treaties that cover large areas of land in Canada include the Peace and Friendship Treaties in the Maritime provinces and Gaspé region. The purpose of these treaties was to bring peace and trade relations. The federal government signed Numbered Treaties in the Prairies, Northwestern Ontario, the Northwest Territories and portions of the Yukon and British Columbia. The government wanted the Numbered Treaties to allow settlement in the west and gain Indigenous lands. First Nations who signed the Numbered Treaties were made promises, both orally and in writing, that were meant to protect their inherent rights and support them in the changing economy. ( See also Treaties with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.)

Population and Communities

First Nations people may live on or off reserve. Also, they may or may not have legal status under the . Even if they have legal status, they may or may not be registered members of a band or nation. Communities may be large or small, relatively urban or extremely remote and exist throughout Canada. Only the Gwich'in and Sahtu extend north of the Arctic Circle.

According to the 2021 census by Statistics Canada, 1,048,405 people in Canada identified as being First Nations. There are 630 First Nations communities in Canada, speaking more than 50 distinct languages.

Socio-Economic Conditions

Socio-economic conditions contribute to the well-being of all people. These include health, income, education, employment and community. Among First Nations peoples (as well as Indigenous peoples, in general), socio-economic conditions have been impacted by the dispossession of cultural traditions, social inequities, prejudice and discrimination. Progress has been made towards better socio-economic conditions. However, there are still gaps between the socio-economic conditions of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.

In July 2019, a report co-authored by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives revealed that 47 per cent of the 254,100 status First Nations children in Canada live in poverty. Nationally, status First Nations children are nearly four times more likely to live in poverty than non-Indigenous, non- racialized children. The authors of the report tracked child poverty using Statistics Canada's 2006 Census, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census. The study revealed differences in the poverty rate for status First Nations children living on-reserve (53 per cent) and those living off-reserve (41 per cent). ( See also Reserves.)

Poverty rates were highest on the Prairies. Status First Nations children in Manitoba and Saskatchewan living on reserves faced extreme poverty rates of 65 per cent. In comparison, recent studies reveal that non-Indigenous children in Manitoba have a poverty rate of 15 per cent. In Saskatchewan, these same children face a poverty rate of 16 per cent. In Quebec, the poverty rate for First Nations children living on reserves was lower at 29 per cent. This is most likely due to agreements between First Nations and the province to share natural resource revenues. In particular, these include Hydro-Québec revenues. The national poverty rate for the 4.5 million non-Indigenous, non- racialized children is 12 per cent.

Perry Bellegarde, who was the National Chief of the AFN at the time of the report, declared that "The findings of this report are shameful and underscore the urgent need to invest in First Nations children, families and communities. Our children face the worst social and economic conditions in the country.... It's beneficial to all Canadians to close the gap in quality of life between First Nations and Canada." The AFN and authors of Towards Justice believe that a "national poverty strategy" should be implemented immediately. It would tackle and reduce child poverty among Indigenous children. This plan would include self-determination for Indigenous peoples, increased government funding and resource revenue sharing arrangements between Indigenous peoples and government.

The 2021 Census revealed that nearly one in five Indigenous people in Canada live in a low-income household. This is less than in the 2016 Census. However, Statistics Canada argues the decline was likely the result of government transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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First Nation is one of three groupings of Indigenous people in Canada, the other two being Métis and Inuit. Unlike Métis and Inuit, most First Nations hold ...

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The Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal peoples: Indians, Inuit and Métis. These are three distinct peoples with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs. More than 1.67 million people in Canada identify themselves as an Aboriginal person.https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100013785/1529102490303 I believe this information to be true because it comes from a government site.

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"Indigenous peoples" is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. Often, "Aboriginal peoples" is also used.

The Canadian Constitution recognizes 3 groups of Aboriginal peoples: Indians (more commonly referred to as First Nations), Inuit and Métis. These are 3 distinct peoples with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

More than 1.67 million people in Canada identify themselves as an Aboriginal person, according to the 2016 Census. Aboriginal peoples are:

the fastest growing population in Canada - grew by 42.5% between 2006 and 2016

the youngest population in Canada - about 44% were under the age of 25 in 2016

Services and information

Related links

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Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1-855-242-3310 or chat online at hopeforwellness.ca.

Thank you for your feedback

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Aboriginal peoples is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. The Canadian constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal people: Indians (commonly referred to as First Nations), Métis and Inuit. These are three distinct peoples with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

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According to the 2016 census by Statistics Canada, 977,230 people in Canada identified as being of First Nations heritage. There are 634 First Nations communities in Canada, speaking more than 50 distinct languages.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/first-nations
I believe this information to be true from this website because it has an array of facts about first nations

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List of First Nations

For more detailed information about First Nations in Canada's provinces and territories, please see:

Terminology

First Nations is a term used to describe Indigenous peoples in Canada who are distinct from Métis or Inuit.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 declares that Aboriginal peoples (the legal term used for Indigenous peoples) in Canada include Indian (First Nations), Inuit and Métis peoples. First Nations people are sometimes known by other names, like Indians, Natives or Amerindians. These names may be problematic, as some have negative connotations. However, in Canada, the term Indian has specific legal contexts. The document governing the federal government's relationship with First Nations people is called the . As part of the Indian Act, the federal government maintains an Indian Register that is an official record of all First Nations people who are recognized as Status Indians.

Before the 1980s, the most popular term for a person of First Nations heritage in Canada was Indian. In 1980, hundreds of chiefs met in Ottawa and used First Nations for the first time in their Declaration of the First Nations. In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood became the Assembly of First Nations. They are a political voice for First Nations people in Canada. Symbolically, the term elevates First Nations to the status of "first among equals" as founding nations of Canada. It is reflective of the sovereign nature of many communities and the ongoing quest for self-determination and self-government. The term is not used by Indigenous peoples outside Canada.

First Nations should be used exclusively as a general term. Community members are more likely to define themselves as members of specific nations or communities within those nations. For example, a Kanyen'kehà:ka (Mohawk) person from Akwesasne who is a member of the Bear clan may choose any number of identifiers. These chosen identifiers would all be more accurate than "First Nations person" or "Indigenous person."

History

Indigenous peoples have been in Canada since time immemorial. They formed complex social, political, economic and cultural systems.

With colonization and white settlement, traditional Indigenous ways of life were forever altered. Colonial practices and policies sought to control and assimilate Indigenous peoples. These include the , pass system, reserves and residential schools. Combined with racism, segregation and loss of land, these practices and policies have negatively impacted Indigenous peoples in profound ways, including in terms of their health and socio-economic well-being. ( See also Social Conditions of Indigenous Peoples and Economic Conditions of Indigenous Peoples).

The final reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls speak to the ongoing work of reconciliation ( see Reconciliation in Canada).

Treaties

Many First Nations have signed treaties with the Crown. Treaties form the constitutional and moral basis of alliance between Indigenous peoples and Canada. While Métis and Inuit have distinct agreements with the federal government, historic treaties were signed almost exclusively with First Nations.

Treaties differ based upon the timeframe in which they were created and the reasons for their completion. Generally, these agreements allowed for the use of Indigenous lands by non-Indigenous peoples in exchange for annual payments, guaranteed rights and other benefits. Examples of treaties that cover large areas of land in Canada include the Peace and Friendship Treaties in the Maritime provinces and Gaspé region. The purpose of these treaties was to bring peace and trade relations. The federal government signed Numbered Treaties in the Prairies, Northwestern Ontario, the Northwest Territories and portions of the Yukon and British Columbia. The government wanted the Numbered Treaties to allow settlement in the west and gain Indigenous lands. First Nations who signed the Numbered Treaties were made promises, both orally and in writing, that were meant to protect their inherent rights and support them in the changing economy. ( See also Treaties with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.)

Population and Communities

First Nations people may live on or off reserve. Also, they may or may not have legal status under the . Even if they have legal status, they may or may not be registered members of a band or nation. Communities may be large or small, relatively urban or extremely remote and exist throughout Canada. Only the Gwich'in and Sahtu extend north of the Arctic Circle.

According to the 2021 census by Statistics Canada, 1,048,405 people in Canada identified as being First Nations. There are 630 First Nations communities in Canada, speaking more than 50 distinct languages.

Socio-Economic Conditions

Socio-economic conditions contribute to the well-being of all people. These include health, income, education, employment and community. Among First Nations peoples (as well as Indigenous peoples, in general), socio-economic conditions have been impacted by the dispossession of cultural traditions, social inequities, prejudice and discrimination. Progress has been made towards better socio-economic conditions. However, there are still gaps between the socio-economic conditions of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.

In July 2019, a report co-authored by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives revealed that 47 per cent of the 254,100 status First Nations children in Canada live in poverty. Nationally, status First Nations children are nearly four times more likely to live in poverty than non-Indigenous, non- racialized children. The authors of the report tracked child poverty using Statistics Canada's 2006 Census, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census. The study revealed differences in the poverty rate for status First Nations children living on-reserve (53 per cent) and those living off-reserve (41 per cent). ( See also Reserves.)

Poverty rates were highest on the Prairies. Status First Nations children in Manitoba and Saskatchewan living on reserves faced extreme poverty rates of 65 per cent. In comparison, recent studies reveal that non-Indigenous children in Manitoba have a poverty rate of 15 per cent. In Saskatchewan, these same children face a poverty rate of 16 per cent. In Quebec, the poverty rate for First Nations children living on reserves was lower at 29 per cent. This is most likely due to agreements between First Nations and the province to share natural resource revenues. In particular, these include Hydro-Québec revenues. The national poverty rate for the 4.5 million non-Indigenous, non- racialized children is 12 per cent.

Perry Bellegarde, who was the National Chief of the AFN at the time of the report, declared that "The findings of this report are shameful and underscore the urgent need to invest in First Nations children, families and communities. Our children face the worst social and economic conditions in the country.... It's beneficial to all Canadians to close the gap in quality of life between First Nations and Canada." The AFN and authors of Towards Justice believe that a "national poverty strategy" should be implemented immediately. It would tackle and reduce child poverty among Indigenous children. This plan would include self-determination for Indigenous peoples, increased government funding and resource revenue sharing arrangements between Indigenous peoples and government.

The 2021 Census revealed that nearly one in five Indigenous people in Canada live in a low-income household. This is less than in the 2016 Census. However, Statistics Canada argues the decline was likely the result of government transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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First Nation is one of three groupings of Indigenous people in Canada, the other two being Métis and Inuit. Unlike Métis and Inuit, most First Nations hold ...

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https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/7-first-nation-facts-you-should-know
There is not one culture for all First Nations. Each Nation has its own culture, customs, beliefs, traditions, and world views.
I found this information on the website. so i believe it to be true.

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Here are seven First Nation facts plus one fun fact to add to your storehouse of knowledge.

1) Number of Nations
There are over 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The total population with First Nation identity is more than 850,000 [1]

2) Creation Beliefs
People everywhere, including First Nations, have their own creation beliefs. Each First Nation has its own creation beliefs, told in the form of a story of their ancestors. The Iroquois creation story often includes elements of the earth being formed on the turtle's back with animals and all other creatures providing further guidance when Sky Woman gives birth to First Woman. While creation beliefs may sound unlikely or silly, to put things in perspective, so does the idea of a person walking on water, coming back from the dead or parting the Red Sea.

There is not one culture for all First Nations. Each Nation has its
3) Cultural Diversity
own culture, customs, beliefs, traditions, and world views. Cultural practices, symbols, and belief systems are influenced by each Nation's unique experience on the land and with each other, and are always connected with the Spirit world.

Download our free ebook Dispelling Common Myths about Indigenous Peoples in which we debunk 9 myths and provide the reality.

4) Cultural Survival
Cultural survival is the name of the game for First Nations (and Indigenous Peoples in general). The past two centuries have seen an active program of assimilation directed towards First Nation culture via the Indian Act. Despite this campaign, which includes relocation from traditional or territorial lands, disastrous assimilation programs, outlawing of cultural practices, loss of language and customs, First Nation cultures have survived. Every decision made reflects this goal, and according to the 7th Generation principle, all decisions must include consideration of impacts on community members seven generations into the future, while honouring those who came before. So, next time a community seems to be taking a long time to make a decision, reflect back on this.

5) Connectivity Principle Many First Nations believe everything is
connected - the spirit world is connected to the mortal world; the sea is connected to the land; the sky is connected to the land. They usually get frustrated by attempts to separate things out. Statements such as "I can't talk you about that as it is not my department or line of work" or "I'm here to talk about mining only and not impacts about forestry" should be avoided. Effort will have to be made to be sensitive to the view of connectivity. Offer to bring in the person whose department it is if it's not yours. You'll get more co-operation in the long run.

6) The Circle is a Sacred Symbol
In First Nation spirituality the circle is everywhere - the medicine wheel, meetings and gatherings are held in circles, dances go in circles, drums are round, as are sweat lodges and tipis. The circle is the symbol of the cycle of all forms of life.

7) The American Constitution is based on the principles of the Great Law of Haudenosaunee Confederacy
The Great Law of Haudenosaunee [2] Confederacy is credited as being a contributing influence on the American Constitution, due to Benjamin Franklin's great respect for the Haudenosaunee system of government, which in itself is interesting from the perspective that the United States formed their Constitution not on the principles of European governments, but rather on that of a people considered "savages".

Fun Fact - Inventions
Who invented hockey is hotly contested but one theory is that it was invented by the Mohawks and we're going with this one. Hundreds of years ago, Jesuit priests wrote about the Mohawks playing with a stick and a piece of frozen ice embedded with mud and stones. According to the Jesuit journals, when a player was struck by the "puck" they yelled "Aukie!" meaning, ouch. Other inventions credited to First Nations include the canoe and kayak, darts, lacrosse (forerunner to hockey) petroleum jelly, cough syrup.

[1] 2011 National Household Survey
[2] With thanks to Tasha Hill for pointing out that "Iroquois", which we formerly used, was the name imposed by settlers on the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (updated Oct. 14, 2019)

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Here are seven First Nation facts plus one fun fact to add to your storehouse of knowledge. 1) Number of Nations There are over 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.

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1)  Number of Nations
There are over 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.
https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/7-first-nation-facts-you-should-know

my source is credible by being accurate as other websites have stated the same information, and it is relevance to my topic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here are seven First Nation facts plus one fun fact to add to your storehouse of knowledge.

1) Number of Nations
There are over 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The total population with First Nation identity is more than 850,000 [1]

2) Creation Beliefs
People everywhere, including First Nations, have their own creation beliefs. Each First Nation has its own creation beliefs, told in the form of a story of their ancestors. The Iroquois creation story often includes elements of the earth being formed on the turtle's back with animals and all other creatures providing further guidance when Sky Woman gives birth to First Woman. While creation beliefs may sound unlikely or silly, to put things in perspective, so does the idea of a person walking on water, coming back from the dead or parting the Red Sea.

There is not one culture for all First Nations. Each Nation has its
3) Cultural Diversity
own culture, customs, beliefs, traditions, and world views. Cultural practices, symbols, and belief systems are influenced by each Nation's unique experience on the land and with each other, and are always connected with the Spirit world.

Download our free ebook Dispelling Common Myths about Indigenous Peoples in which we debunk 9 myths and provide the reality.

4) Cultural Survival
Cultural survival is the name of the game for First Nations (and Indigenous Peoples in general). The past two centuries have seen an active program of assimilation directed towards First Nation culture via the Indian Act. Despite this campaign, which includes relocation from traditional or territorial lands, disastrous assimilation programs, outlawing of cultural practices, loss of language and customs, First Nation cultures have survived. Every decision made reflects this goal, and according to the 7th Generation principle, all decisions must include consideration of impacts on community members seven generations into the future, while honouring those who came before. So, next time a community seems to be taking a long time to make a decision, reflect back on this.

5) Connectivity Principle Many First Nations believe everything is
connected - the spirit world is connected to the mortal world; the sea is connected to the land; the sky is connected to the land. They usually get frustrated by attempts to separate things out. Statements such as "I can't talk you about that as it is not my department or line of work" or "I'm here to talk about mining only and not impacts about forestry" should be avoided. Effort will have to be made to be sensitive to the view of connectivity. Offer to bring in the person whose department it is if it's not yours. You'll get more co-operation in the long run.

6) The Circle is a Sacred Symbol
In First Nation spirituality the circle is everywhere - the medicine wheel, meetings and gatherings are held in circles, dances go in circles, drums are round, as are sweat lodges and tipis. The circle is the symbol of the cycle of all forms of life.

7) The American Constitution is based on the principles of the Great Law of Haudenosaunee Confederacy
The Great Law of Haudenosaunee [2] Confederacy is credited as being a contributing influence on the American Constitution, due to Benjamin Franklin's great respect for the Haudenosaunee system of government, which in itself is interesting from the perspective that the United States formed their Constitution not on the principles of European governments, but rather on that of a people considered "savages".

Fun Fact - Inventions
Who invented hockey is hotly contested but one theory is that it was invented by the Mohawks and we're going with this one. Hundreds of years ago, Jesuit priests wrote about the Mohawks playing with a stick and a piece of frozen ice embedded with mud and stones. According to the Jesuit journals, when a player was struck by the "puck" they yelled "Aukie!" meaning, ouch. Other inventions credited to First Nations include the canoe and kayak, darts, lacrosse (forerunner to hockey) petroleum jelly, cough syrup.

[1] 2011 National Household Survey
[2] With thanks to Tasha Hill for pointing out that "Iroquois", which we formerly used, was the name imposed by settlers on the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (updated Oct. 14, 2019)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here are seven First Nation facts plus one fun fact to add to your storehouse of knowledge. 1) Number of Nations There are over 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.