Who are the Aboriginal peoples of Canada?

What should you know about this topic?

Aboriginal peoples (now often called Indigenous peoples) are the first people to have lived in what is now Canada. Discover Canada explains that their ancestors are believed to have migrated from Asia many thousands of years ago, and that they were well established here long before explorers from Europe arrived. Their cultures were rooted in religious beliefs about their relationship to the Creator, the natural environment and each other.

There are three distinct groups: First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Before Europeans came, Indigenous peoples lived in every part of the land, from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic and the Arctic. They had their own governments, trade networks, languages and spiritual traditions. Some were hunter-gatherers, while others, like the Huron-Wendat of the Great Lakes region, were farmers and traders. The Iroquois were also farmers and hunters.

When Europeans arrived, the fur trade created close economic ties between Indigenous peoples and newcomers. Later, Indigenous peoples suffered greatly from disease, loss of land and the residential school system. The Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes Aboriginal and treaty rights, and the federal government apologized for residential schools in 2008. This topic connects to questions about the three groups, treaties, Louis Riel and the history of contact. Learning the correct terms and history shows respect for the first peoples of the land and helps on the test.

Why are the other answers wrong?

• The first settlers of Newfoundland: Indigenous peoples lived across all of Canada, and the first European settlers in Newfoundland were not Aboriginal.
• The first European settlers to arrive in Canada: European settlers came much later; Aboriginal peoples were already living here.
• The descendents of the first Australian immigrants to Canada: There is no link between Aboriginal peoples in Canada and Australian immigrants; Australia's Aboriginal peoples are a separate group.

What is the most common mistake?

Some learners confuse Aboriginal peoples with early European settlers. Aboriginal peoples were here first, long before any Europeans arrived.

How can you remember the answer?

"Aboriginal" comes from Latin meaning "from the beginning": they were here first.