First Nations
Canada's original peoples
First Nations refers to the indigenous peoples of Canada, excluding the Inuit and Métis.
The term emerged in the 1970s as a respectful alternative to "Indian" and emphasizes political sovereignty and distinct nationhood: First Nations communities across British Columbia, She's a member of the Cree First Nation.
In Canadian usage, First Nations appears in official, educational, and everyday contexts.
The singular can name a specific group: the Squamish First Nation.
Advance arrangement to hold
- bandGroup playing music together
- tribalOf a clan
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
- chiefTop-ranking leader
elders · clan · kinship · gathering · powwow · feast · potlatch · longhouse
Originating in a region
- aboriginalIndigenous to a place
- nativeOriginating from a place
- MétisCanadian mixed-ancestry Indigenous nation
- InuitArctic indigenous people
status · non-status · blood quantum · Indian Act · enfranchisement · residential schools · intergenerational · immersion
Long-established customs passed down
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- regaliaCeremonial emblems of authority
- beadworkStrung ornament craft
- moccasinsSoft leather slip-ons
wampum · totem · dreamcatcher · birchbark · quillwork · ribbon skirt · jingle dress · grass dance
Control over one's fate
- self-governmentRuling oneself independently
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- treaty rightsPact-secured legal entitlements
land rights · territorial · decolonization · autonomy · inherent rights · title · stewardship · custodianship
Shared position between parties
- signatoriesThose who signed officially
- negotiationDiscussion seeking mutual accord
- ratificationFormal approval by authority
- annuityPeriodic fixed payment
reservations · historic · wampum belt · land claims · compensation · federal · consultation · fiduciary duty
reservation
Advance arrangement to hold
chief · elders · clan · kinship · gathering · powwow · feast · potlatch · longhouse · village
indigenous
Originating in a region
- aboriginalIndigenous to a place
- nativeOriginating from a place
- MétisCanadian mixed-ancestry Indigenous nation
Inuit · status · non-status · blood quantum · Indian Act · enfranchisement · residential schools · intergenerational · immersion · oral tradition
traditions
Long-established customs passed down
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- regaliaCeremonial emblems of authority
- beadworkStrung ornament craft
moccasins · wampum · totem · dreamcatcher · birchbark · quillwork · ribbon skirt · jingle dress · grass dance · smudging
self-determination
Control over one's fate
- self-governmentRuling oneself independently
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
treaty rights · land rights · territorial · decolonization · autonomy · inherent rights · title · stewardship · custodianship · reconciliation
agreement
Shared position between parties
- signatoriesThose who signed officially
- negotiationDiscussion seeking mutual accord
- ratificationFormal approval by authority
annuity · reservations · historic · wampum belt · land claims · compensation · federal · consultation · fiduciary duty
- Canadian PeoplesInuit, Metis, Cree, Ojibwe, Haida
- Indigenous Advocacytribal councils, sovereignty movements, AIM, Standing Rock, water protectors
- Indigenous Lawindigenous law, aboriginal rights, indigenous sovereignty, ceremonial law, traditional law
- Indigenous PolicyIndian Act, treaty negotiations, land claims, consultation, inherent rights
- Saskatchewan HistorySaskatoon, NDP, grain elevators, homesteading, prairie settlement
- Treaty 3annuities, Ojibwe, reserve lands, traditional territory
First Nationssettlers
Those who establish homes
colonizers · European settlers · colonial powers · colonists · newcomers
first, nation, national, nationalism, international, nationality, nationalist, nationally, nationalize