Welcome to Canada: First Nations

The term "First Nations" is defined as the communities of Aboriginal people who identify themselves as distinct cultural groups, who are the descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada and are neither Inuit nor Metis.

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Due to the vastness of Canada, there were many groups within First Nations people. Each group had different beliefs and social structure. First Nations people lived in bands, ranging from twenty five to thousands of members. Women and men had different roles, but there was never an argument over which gender had a more important role within the community.

Regions

The Arctic People have inhabited Canada for around 20,000 years. Winters were in total darkness and summers were in moderate temperatures. They valued sharing, like the other groups of First Nations People, and believed that hoarding was a crime. The Eldest members of the community usually led the whole group. Everyone in the household had a role, so that everyone could contribute and help the family. The Arctic People hunted for fish, polar bears and seals and the weapons and utilities they used are considered modern day masterpieces of technology. The Arctic People lived in igloos or snowhouses to keep warm from the cold temperatures.

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The Western-Sub Arctic People lived in bands of twenty five people. They lived in extreme temperatures of -40 C during winters and 30 C during summers. There were many lakes and trees around the area to keep cool during the summer. The Western-Sub Arctic People hunted for moose, elk, oxen and fish. Both men and women hunted for food.There was no formal chief system, there were only natural leaders with followers. The Western-Sub Arctic People lived in small, easy to take down houses, such as a pithouse and a lean to.

The Woodlands People were great farmers who lived in large settlements of 2500 people. The land was very productive, which was very good for farming. There was bountiful deer, rabbits, squirrels, moose and bear, so they never starved. The men were the protectors of the family, they went to war and hunted. The women took care of the household, while the children helped out in the fields and chores. The Woodlands People lived in longhouses, built using nearby trees. Husbands moved into the wives' families with their children.

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The Plains People inhabited Canada for around 10,000 years. They lived from the Rocky Mountains to the woodlands of South-eastern Manitoba. The temperatures were extreme; winters of -40 C and summers of 35 C. The Plains People lived in bands of 50-100 people, connected by marriage or kinship. Members with leadership qualities guided the band. Buffalo was the main source of food for the Plains People and a way they hunted these buffalo was to form a "V Shape" with people on both sides waving blankets towards a cliff, the buffalo would run over the cliff to its death. The Plains People lived in tepees that were usually big enough for a few people to live in.

The Plateau People lived in a southern British Columbia and Alberta. Temperatures varied, but was usually very moderate. Forests and mountains were everywhere and food was hardly out of reach because of the bountiful amount of resources. The Plateau People lived in small bands. Both men and women had roles in the bands. The main sources of food were deer, caribou and berries. Plateau people were semi-nomadic, which meant that they moved around a lot. Because of this, they built houses that were easy to make and take down. During the winter, they lived in pithouses and during the summer, they lived in Tepees.

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European Contact

The Europeans came to Canada due to the vast resources and land. The Europeans governments had told the men to form good relationships with the First Nations People. In order to do this, it meant to marry into the families and trades. Many European men had families back home and they didn't decide on staying in Canada. Those who had children with the Native women, left these women and went back home, neglecting any responsibilities and leaving the children under the care of the Native women.

The European men brought diseases and sickness to Canada and many First Nations people were sick and died. Before this, the First Nations People lived healthy lives because of their sustainability and usually died of old age.

The Indian Act

The Indian Act was a legislated discrimination to the First Nations People. It caused many First Nations People to lose many rights and freedoms. But more so, it affected the rights of First Nation women. For example: Section 12-1 of the Indian Act, when a non-Indian woman marries an Indian man, she becomes a status Indian. But, when an Indian woman marries a non-Indian man, she loses her status as an Indian. This meant that she no longer qualified for basic privileges such as health, education, home on reserve and contact with family).

Residential Schools

The government forced all First Nation children to attend Residential Schools in order to assimilate them into society. At these residential schools, the First Nation children faced severe emotional and physical abuse by the supervisors and teachers. Many of them were sexually abused and given addictive drugs and alcohol in exchange for sex. First Nation adults today, can't manage a family because attending those residential schools have led to social problems. The First Nations people hardly received any education and were taught mostly labour skills, so we can obviously see that the intent of the government to assimilate them into society was actually to convert them and use them as cheap labour workers due to their inadequate education. The government's goal to assimilate them was a success but it was not for a good cause.

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Effects Today

The Residential schools and other problems that the First Nations People have had before, led them to severe drug abuse and social problems. Because of this, there are many stereotypes surrounding the First Nations People and this causes the First Nations People to have a really high unemployment rate. The generation of youth today are beginning to understand the problems of the First Nations people, but their parents and grandparents haven't been educated on this issue, so the stereotypes remain and continue to escalate.

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