It is a territory that has allowed the Inuit decision-making power over its development, as well as compensation for rights that have been historically and involuntarily extinguished or relinquished through various government policies.
They have lived along the coastal edge of northern Canada for several thousand years. Inuit are Arctic people who are the Aboriginal inhabitants of northern Canada. There are approximately 3,100 reserves divided among 619 First Nations in Canada. However, in recent years, many First Nations have reclaimed their own name for themselves, such as Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, which has replaced “Kamloops Indian Band.” The term First Nation is a synonym for a status-holding Indian band or reserve thus, many groups have abandoned the term Indian band in favor of First Nation. First Nations people include status and non-status “Indians,” as they are still addressed in the Indian Act. There are more than 1.7-million people in Canada who identify themselves as Indigenous - that is, First Nations, Inuit and Métis.įirst Nations is the term many native people in Canada prefer to be called. The Canadian Constitution Act of 1982 recognizes three groups of Indigenous people. Today’s Indigenous peoples are the descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada. However, the resurgence of Indigenous pride - as seen in the arts and on television shows - reveals the renewed sense of identity Indigenous peoples are creating for themselves and for others.Īlong with this renewed pride are negotiations in the form of modern-day treaties and assertions of sovereignty of their homelands, such as the Gitxsan-Wet’suwet’en claim in northwest B.C. Along with that growth is a new vitality and prosperity, although many Indigenous people still live in extreme poverty on isolated reserves and in marginalized areas of urban centres across Canada. Indigenous peoples, estimated at 40 million in North America before European contact, suffered a drastic decline after the arrival of Europeans, owing to the introduction of diseases.īut they now represent the fastest-growing population segment in Canada. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, June 21, was chosen because many Indigenous people observe the longest day of the year as part of their cultural traditions.īegun in 1982 and originally called National Aboriginal Day, it was not officially proclaimed by the government of Canada until 1996, recognizing the contributions Indigenous peoples have made to our country. National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day to honour the rich, vital and diverse cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people of Canada.
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