Activity 2.1 | Indigenous History in Canada

To better understand Indigenous people and their ways of being, reviewing some of the history and stories that families carry is useful. Stories greatly influence children. If they aren’t told stories, they make their own.

The history of the relationship between the early colonists and then the government of Canada with Indigenous peoples has been difficult for over 500 years. Gradual changes for the benefit of Indigenous peoples only began to happen in the last 75 years, a relatively short time considering that most of us know people, parents or grandparents, who lived during that time.

Let’s look at some of the events in Canadian history that shaped the current landscape and continue to affect Indigenous communities and families.

But first, it may be helpful to familiarize some terminology:

• Aboriginal Peoples – collective name for the First Peoples of Canada – Constitution Act of 1982 (S 35) recognizes three groups – First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. 
  • Aboriginal people (lower case) – refers to more than one Aboriginal person. 
  • Try not to use “Aboriginal Peoples” to identify only one of these groups – specific language is preferred, i.e., First Nations, or the specific name of the nation. 
• Indigenous means ‘native to the area’. Indigenous is the preferred term. It was first used internationally and refers to the First Peoples in areas throughout the world.
• Turtle Island is a term used by many Indigenous peoples to represent North American. It originated in a creation story.
• First Nations – term that came into use in the 1970s – preferred term over ‘Indian’ (though this is largely used in Canadian policy). It includes both Status and non-Status people (as defined under the Indian Act). It is not a synonym for Aboriginal Peoples, as it does not include Métis and Inuit peoples.  
  • Previously, ‘Native’ was a widely accepted term to use but has become outdated. Some older First Nations people refer to themselves with this term.
• Métis - “a person who self-identifies as Métis, is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, is of Historic Métis Nation ancestry, and is accepted by the Métis Nation” (MNC, 2002). Some people refer to anyone of mixed heritage as Métis, but this is incorrect.
• Inuit – means “people” in Inuktitut; includes Indigenous people in Northern Canada as well as in other circumpolar areas across the globe (terms may vary). The singular is Inuk.