
How did First Nations treat their environment?
First Nations treated all objects in their environment—whether animate or inanimate—with the utmost respect. This deep respect that First Nations cultivated for every thing and every process in the natural world was reflected in songs, dances, festivals and ceremonies.
What did the First Nations want the government to do?
Facing disease epidemics and famine, First Nations leaders wanted the government to help care for their people. They also wanted assistance in adapting to a rapidly changing economy as buffalo herds neared extinction and the HBC shifted its operations to the North.
What is a First Nations Treaty?
First Nations saw treaties in a different light. To them, treaties were solemn pacts establishing the future basis of relations between their people, for whom Canada is an ancient homeland, and the new Government of Canada and its people.
Why did First Nations settle on the Pacific Coast?
The vast food resources of the ocean—salmon, shellfish, octopus, herring, crabs, whale and seaweed—made it possible for Pacific Coast First Nations to settle in permanent locations.

How are First Nations people treated in Canada?
First Nations peoples are still enduring the consequences of colonialism. As a demographic group in Canada they are more likely to, among other things, experience overcrowded housing, food insecurity, unemployment, mental health problems in their youth and low levels of confidence in the justice system.
How would you describe someone from First Nations?
For the most part, First Nations people are Status or Treaty Indians registered with their home reserve, band or community. “First Nations” should be used exclusively as a general term, as community members are more likely to define themselves as members of specific nations, or communities within those nations.
How were the First Nations treated during Confederation?
The first Indian Act in Canada created an unfair relationship between the Canadian government and Indigenous peoples. Under the Act, Indigenous peoples were not recognized as independent or self-governed polities.
What are the rights of First Nations in Canada?
Generic rights are held by all Aboriginal peoples across Canada, and include:Rights to the land (Aboriginal title)Rights to subsistence resources and activities.The right to self-determination and self-government.The right to practice one's own culture and customs including language and religion.More items...
What did Canada do to the natives?
For more than 100 years, Canadian authorities forcibly separated thousands of Indigenous children from their families and made them attend residential schools, which aimed to sever Indigenous family and cultural ties and assimilate the children into white Canadian society.
Is it OK to say Aboriginal?
'Aborigine' is generally perceived as insensitive, because it has racist connotations from Australia's colonial past, and lumps people with diverse backgrounds into a single group. You're more likely to make friends by saying 'Aboriginal person', 'Aboriginal' or 'Torres Strait Islander'.
How did Canadian Confederation affect First Nations?
Confederation had a significant impact on Indigenous communities. In 1867, the federal government assumed responsibility over Indigenous affairs from the colonies. With the purchase of Rupert's Land in 1870, the Dominion of Canada extended its influence over the Indigenous peoples living in that region.
How did the First Nations respond to assimilation?
First Nations largely rejected the idea of cultural assimilation into Canadian society. In particular, they spoke out against the enforced enfranchisement provisions of the Indian Act and the extent of the powers that the government exercised over their daily lives.
How are Indigenous rights being violated in Canada?
In September, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the federal government willfully and recklessly discriminated against Indigenous children living on reserves by failing to provide funding for child and family services.
What are the human rights of Indigenous peoples?
Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practise, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of ceremonial objects; and the right to the ...
What does Aboriginal rights mean in Canada?
Aboriginal rights refer to practices, traditions and customs that distinguish the unique culture of each First Nation and were practiced prior to European contact. These are rights that some Aboriginal peoples of Canada hold as a result of their ancestors' longstanding use and occupancy of the land.
How did the First Nations treat their environment?
First Nations treated all objects in their environment—whether animate or inanimate—with the utmost respect.
What did the First Nations hunt for?
All First Nations across the country hunted and gathered plants for both food and medicinal purposes. The actual percentage of meat, fish and plants in any First Nation's diet depended on what was available in the local environment.
Why did the First Nations reject the White Paper?
First Nations overwhelmingly rejected the White Paper. The complete lack of consultation with the people who would be directly affected —First Nations themselves—was central to their criticism. It became apparent that while many people regarded the Indian Act as paternalistic and coercive, the Act nevertheless protected special Aboriginal status within Confederation and therefore specific rights. In the face of such strong negative reaction not only from First Nations, but also from the general public, the government withdrew the White Paper in 1971. The government's attempt to change its relationship with First Nations created a new form of Aboriginal nationalism. First Nations leaders from across the country united in new associations and organizations determined to protect and promote their peoples' rights and interests. These organizations proposed their own policy alternatives. The Indian Association of Alberta, for example, argued in a paper entitled Citizens Plus that Aboriginal peoples held rights and benefits that other Canadians did not. Rallying around this concept, First Nations leaders argued that their people were entitled to all the benefits of Canadian citizenship, in addition to special rights deriving from their unique and historical relationship with the Crown.
What was the result of the Treaty of Paris?
The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended more than 150 years of European competition and conflict. Through this agreement, France ceded its colonial territories in what is now Canada, including Acadia, New France and the Interior lands of the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. Britain was now the primary European power throughout much of North America, controlling all of the valuable commercial fur trade. Despite this dominance, the British did not fully control the continent. British administrators realized that the success of Britain's North American colonies depended upon stable and peaceful relations with First Nations. To help achieve this, King George III issued a Royal Proclamation in 1763, which specified how the colonies were to be administered. This wide-ranging document established a firm western boundary for the colonies. All the lands to the west of this boundary became "Indian Territories" where there could be no settlement or trade without the permission of the Indian Department.
Why did Europeans return to the eastern shores of North America in the 1500s?
In the 1500s Europeans returned to the eastern shores of North America to establish settlements. By that time, many Europeans had heard from returning fishermen about the wealth of resources that the New World offered. Attracted by the Grand Banks' teeming cod stocks, Basque, Breton, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Irish and English fishermen had already made contact and traded with the Mik'maq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy peoples of the Eastern seaboard. As they returned each summer to fish and dry-cure their catch, these fishermen developed an informal trade system with First Nations, exchanging European goods for furs.
What was the bark used in the Woodland First Nations?
Woodland First Nations constructed birch bar k canoes that were light, durable and streamlined for navigating the numerous rivers and lakes in this area. Canoe builders stitched bark sheets together and then fastened them to a wooden frame using watup —white spruce root that had been split, peeled and soaked. The vessel's seams were waterproofed with a coating of heated spruce gum and grease.
How did the American War of Independence affect the relationship between the British Crown and its First Nations allies?
The outbreak of the American War of Independence and Britain's subsequent recognition of the United States of America in 1783 had a dramatic impact on the relationship between the British Crown and its First Nations allies. The loss of the American colonies brought some 30,000 United Empire Loyalist refugees to the remaining British colonies in North America. A powerful group of people who had lost everything because of their support for the British cause, these Loyalists asked colonial administrators for new lands.
What are some examples of poor treatment of the First Nation's people?
Some examples of poor treatment of the First Nation's people: no gatherings or group meetings were allowed. a new religion was strictly enforced on them, and they were not permitted to practice their own beliefs. the government passed laws restricting hunting and fishing of them. they were not allowed to leave their reserves without special passes.
What was the goal of the Canadian assimilation movement?
the goal was assimilation (removing everything about their previous culture and beliefs, and forcing them to become the "proper" Canadian citizen) so the children were taken from their families, given new names (or simply given a number to be addressed by), and abused for breaking rules or speaking their native language
How many First Nations are there in Canada?
There are over 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands with distinctive cultures, languages, art, and music. National Indigenous Peoples Day recognizes the cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples to the history of Canada.
How did the Canadian Crown and Indigenous peoples interact?
The Canadian Crown and Indigenous peoples began interactions during the European colonization period. Numbered treaties, the Halifax Treaties, the Indian Act, the Constitution Act of 1982 and case laws were established. Aboriginal peoples construe these agreements as being between them and the Crown of Canada through the district's Indian Agent, and not the Cabinet of Canada. The Māori interprets the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand similarly. A series of eleven treaties were signed between First Nations in Canada and the reigning Monarch of Canada from 1871 to 1921. The Government of Canada created the policy, commissioned the Treaty Commissioners and ratified the agreements. These Treaties are agreements with the Government of Canada administered by Canadian Aboriginal law and overseen by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
What are the indigenous peoples of Canada?
Indigenous Peoples in Canada (also known as Aboriginals or First Peoples) are the indigenous peoples within the boundaries of Canada. They comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
How many Aboriginal languages are there in Canada?
There are 13 Aboriginal language groups, 11 oral and 2 sign, in Canada, made up of more than 65 distinct dialects. Of these, only Cree, Inuktitut, and Ojibwe have a large enough population of fluent speakers to be considered viable to survive in the long term. Two of Canada's territories give official status to native languages. In Nunavut, Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun are official languages alongside the national languages of English and French, and Inuktitut is a common vehicular language in territorial government.
What was the first indigenous population in the Americas?
Aboriginal genetic studies suggest that the first inhabitants of the Americas share a single ancestral population, one that developed in isolation, conjectured to be Beringia. The isolation of these peoples in Beringia might have lasted 10,000–20,000 years. Around 16,500 years ago, the glaciers began melting, allowing people to move south and east into Canada and beyond.
Why did Canada violate the Genocide Convention?
Because of laws and policies that encouraged or required Indigenous peoples to assimilate into a Eurocentric society, Canada violated the United Nations Genocide Convention that Canada signed in 1949 and passed through Parliament in 1952.
Where are the Eskimo people from?
The term Eskimo has pejorative connotations in Canada and Greenland. Indigenous peoples in those areas have replaced the term Eskimo with Inuit, though the Yupik of Alaska and Siberia do not consider themselves Inuit, and ethnographers agree they are a distinct people. They prefer the terminology Yupik, Yupiit, or Eskimo. The Yupik languages are linguistically distinct from the Inuit languages, but are related to each other. Linguistic groups of Arctic people have no universal replacement term for Eskimo, inclusive of all Inuit and Yupik people across the geographical area inhabited by the Inuit and Yupik peoples.
Why did non-Indigenous negotiators believe treaties were inexpensive and convenient ways to strip Aboriginal?
Historically, non-Indigenous treaty negotiators believed treaties were inexpensive and convenient ways to strip Aboriginal title (i.e., ownership ) from most of the lands in Canada so that resources could be used by settlers ( see Indigenous Territory .)
Why did Europeans seek to make alliances with Indigenous peoples?
Europeans sought to make alliances with Indigenous peoples as a way of maintaining the peace, providing access to natural resources and gaining alliances in trade and colonial wars.
What is an Indigenous treaty?
Indigenous treaties in Canada are constitutionally recognized agreements between the Crown and Indigenous peoples. Most of these agreements describe exchanges where Indigenous nations agree to share some of their interests in their ancestral lands in return for various payments and promises. On a deeper level, treaties are sometimes understood, particularly by Indigenous people, as sacred covenants between nations that establish a relationship between those for whom Canada is an ancient homeland and those whose family roots lie in other countries. Treaties therefore form the constitutional and moral basis of alliance between Indigenous peoples and Canada.
What is the government's view of treaties?
On the one hand is the government’s view of treaties as legal instruments that surrendered Indigenous rights. On the other is the Indigenous view of treaties as instruments of relationships between autonomous peoples who agree to share the lands and resources of Canada.
What document recognizes the rights of Indigenous peoples?
The constitutional character of treaties between Indigenous peoples and the Crown was renewed in the Constitution Act, 1982 , which describes itself as “the supreme law of Canada.”. Section 35 of that document both recognizes and affirms “existing Indigenous and treaty rights” ( see Rights of Indigenous Peoples .)
When did the Treaties of Canada start?
Treaties in Canada date back to the time when Europeans first arrived to North America. Europeans sought to make alliances with Indigenous peoples as a way of maintaining the peace, providing access to natural resources and gaining alliances in trade and colonial wars. This first era of treaty making starts roughly from the time of the Covenant Chain in the 16th century and extends until the Royal Proclamation in 1763.
Where were the Douglas Treaties signed?
While treaty making up until 1850 was only conducted in the Maritimes, Manitoba and Upper Canada, the Douglas Treaties (named after Governor James Douglas) were signed between 1850 and 1854 with 14 First Nations on Vancouver Island.
What are the First Nations fighting for in Canada?
In Canada, however, without political sovereignty, First Nations are still fighting for more land, direct access to revenues from resource extraction on their lands, and the diversification of income generation. Simply comparing the size of reserves, Grossman said, “I look at the map of the United States, and there are large reservations … and on the Canadian side, there are small specks, tiny reserves.” Pierre explained that reserves were historically kept small for “us to die out in them.” Thus, ongoing Ktunaxa Nation treaty negotiations focus on “ensuring lands that will be able to provide the economic future for our people.”
What is the relationship between the Canadian government and First Nations people?
While at first glance the relationship between the Canadian government and First Nations people may appear progressive, conciliatory, and apologetic, these symbolic gestures actually belie a federal reluctance to extend political sovereignty to all First Nations.
What was the greatest impact of the Suquamish Tribe?
Leonard Forsman, chairman of the Suquamish Tribe in Northwest Washington, said that the greatest overall impact was “the empowerment and recognition of the tribal governments.”.
Why is the US government recognizing indigenous peoples?
government’s recognition of indigenous statehood has laid the foundation for greater political empowerment, socioeconomic growth, and cultural revitalization. In each of these areas, the Canadian government’s denial of universal political sovereignty ...
What is Canada's policy?
Canada’s federal policies lag behind those of the U.S. in a key area: recognition of political autonomy or self-determination. In 1975, the U.S. government passed the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Under the “Treatment as State” clause, the U.S. federal government recognizes the Native American tribes’ right to self-determination, or sovereignty within their boundaries, with the autonomy to collect and spend their own tax dollars, to provide their own education, judiciary, and law enforcement, and to self-govern without the interference of federal agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs .
What act regulates the establishment of reservations?
On the other hand, the Canadian government still operates under the Indian Act of 1876, which defines First Nation citizenship and regulates the establishment and affairs of reservations. The Act establishes “a ward-guardian kind of relationship” and controls “so many of the aspects of even daily life,” according to Grossman. Most crucially, there is no universal acknowledgment of the right to self-determination, and treaties are individually negotiated between the federal government and each nation, resulting in a highly variable, piecemeal approach.
Is Canada a progressive country?
Superficially, Canada’s policies appear much more progressive. After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognized the murder of Indigenous women and girls as “ genocide ,” the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was founded in 2008 to address the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools system, and numerous government officials have offered apologies for “ historic wrongs ” committed. The movement to acknowledge missing and murdered Indigenous women also originated in Canada before spreading to the U.S. Neither the U.S. government nor its officials have recognized its historical actions as a “genocide,” nor have apologies been issued to Native American tribes.
What did the First Nations do to their history?
First Nations had an oral tradition. They passed down important information by the spoken word during important ceremonies and at celebrations. What was said was what was important to them, not what was written on paper. Though they did not have a written tradition, in the European sense, they recorded important events by sewing beaded wampum belts. Wampum belts signifying treaties became sacred objects that were brought out at certain times, Then elders recited the terms and understandings of the agreement commemorated by that ceremonial wampum belt.
How did the First Nations choose their chief?
Ways of choosing the Chief varied. Some First Nations chose their Chief by consensus of the Council. Iroquois Chiefs were chosen by clan mothers.
Why did the British recognize the First Nations way of land holding, of leadership, and of consensus decision-making?
The British recognized the First Nations way of land holding, of leadership, and of consensus decision-making, because they designed their treaty-making process to work within the First Nations framework.
Why did the First Nations sign the Treaties?
First Nations representatives signed the treaties to ensure that they would receive some government assistance ...
What was the first step towards assimilation?
Treaties were also expected to be the first step towards assimilation.
What are the Indian Treaties?
Today both sides agree that the so-called Indian Treaties are agreements between the Crown (the Government) and First Nations, ...
Why did the British and Canadian governments create treaties?
The British and Canadian governments saw treaties as a way to legalize the ceding of Indian lands to clear the way for European settlement, mining, and railways. Treaties were intended to extinguish all First Nations claims and rights to their land forever, except in those lands set apart as Reserves of land for the bands to live on.
What was the story of the First Nations during the First World War?
During the First World War, the story of the First Nations, particularly Status Indians , is the best known. By contrast, little is known of Métis military service because a person’s ethnicity was not listed on enlistment papers, and no government department oversaw Métis populations to provide a paper trail.
Why were the First Nations reluctant to join the army?
Between August 1914 and December 1915, relatively few First Nations men volunteered, as the army was hesitant about recruiting them for fear the “Germans might refuse to extend to them the privileges of civilized warfare.”. This was not a rigid policy, and at least 200 did manage to enlist.
What did Indigenous veterans do after 1918?
Despite their contributions to the national war effort, Indigenous veterans were largely forgotten in the decades after 1918, until they began to organize and campaign for recognition of their sacrifices and restitution for grievances over veterans benefits from the 1970s to the 2000s. Perseverance paid off, with a consensus report accepted by both First Nations veterans groups and the government in 2001, followed by an offer of a public apology and offer of compensation in 2003. Métis and Inuit veterans’ grievances have not received the same hearing. In recent years, Indigenous veterans have gained much greater recognition in local and national acts of remembrance, including National Aboriginal Veterans Day on 8 November (inaugurated by Winnipeg’s city council in 1994) and a National Aboriginal Veterans Monument in Ottawa (unveiled in 2001). They are forgotten warriors no longer.
How many First Nations soldiers fought for Canada?
More than 4000 First Nations soldiers fought for Canada during the war, officially recorded by the Department of Indian Affairs (see Federal Departments of Indigenous and Northern Affairs).
When did the war end for the Indigenous people?
When the war ended in 1918 , Indigenous soldiers returned alongside their comrades to what they hoped would be a better world, but these hopes would be disappointed. The marginal political, legal, economic and social position of Indigenous peoples was unaltered by the war or their contributions.
When did the British government start recruiting Indians?
After December 1915, the British government asked its Dominions to actively recruit Indigenous soldiers, and this led to more vigorous recruiting on reserves. The enactment of conscription in 1917, which included Status Indians, sparked great protest from First Nations peoples ( see Military Service Act ).
When did Indians get exemption from overseas combat service?
In response, the government granted a limited exemption from overseas combat service for Status Indians in January 1918. By war’s end, Indian Affairs estimated 4,000 First Nations men enlisted, but their records were incomplete and omitted non-Status Indians and Métis people.
Why is Canada considered a postindustrial society?
Canada is considered a postindustrial society largely due to its significant fishing industry.
How many people live in rural areas in Canada?
Most of Canada's 34 million inhabitants live in rural areas.
What was Woodrow Wilson's 14 points?
President Woodrow Wilsons fourteen points were based on the belief that. The principle of self determination should be applied to people of all nations. One goal for a lasting peace that president woodrow wilson included in his fourteen was.
What was the Monroe doctrine?
American President Monroe gave voice to what would later be termed the Monroe Doctrine: "In the wars of the European powers, in matters relating to themselves, we have never taken part, nor does it comport with our policy, so to do". The Monroe doctrine was an example of the American foreign policy of. Non-Intervention.
What would most likely evolve in an area that has?
Nationalism would most likely evolve in an area that has. Common aspects such as culture, history, politics, economics. Nationalism is defined best as. The feelings people have in identifying with their nation. Which one of the following is not a defining criteria of a modern nation state.

Introduction: Treaties Have Different Meanings For Different People
Treaties with The French and British, 1676 to 1763
- Treaties in Canada date back to the time when Europeans first arrived to North America. Europeans sought to make alliances with Indigenous peoples as a way of maintaining the peace, providing access to natural resources and gaining alliances in trade and colonial wars. This first era of treaty making starts roughly from the time of the Covenant Chain in the 16th century and …
Treaty Making in British North America, 1764 to 1867
- From the time of the Conquest to Confederation, British and Indigenous peoples made various alliances to secure against the Americans during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The arrangements also provided the British with access to traditional territories for the purposes of white settlement and development. It was during this time period that the colonial governmen…
Post-Confederation Treaties, 1867 to 1975
- The years immediately following Confederation were characterized by the Canadian government’s desire to expand westward and northward as a means of securing the nation’s economic future. This led to the signing of various treaties between the government and Indigenous nations in the Prairies and parts of the North, British Columbia and northern Ont...
Modern Treaties, 1975 to Present
- Established in 1974, the Office of Native Claims (ONC) defined two types of modern land claims: specific and comprehensive. Specific land claims address Indigenous grievances over the failure of the federal government to keep promises made to them in the Indian Act, historic treaties or other agreements. Comprehensive land claims deal specifically with questions about land title. …
Excluded Peoples
- There are Indigenous peoples whose representatives were not present at historic treaty negotiations, and are now seeking compensation. One such group is the Lubicon Cree, whose ancestors were not present in the making of Treaty 8 in 1899. The reserve-less Lubicon, whose territory lies within a lucrative oil patch in Alberta, have faced tremendous resistance, both insid…
Treaties, The Canadian Constitution and Citizenship
- Indigenous and treaty rights were a particularly controversial and difficult issue during the patriation of the Canadian Constitution. On 5 November 1981, nine provincial governments (excluding Québec) entered into the federal government’s patriation plan on the condition that Indigenous and treaty rights be stripped from the draft constitution. However, after widespread …
Treaties in International Law and Politics
- Treaties and the United Nations In 1987, the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations began a global study of “treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between states and Indigenous populations.” The government of Canada attempted to derail the study, arguing that an international “focus on Treaties essentially distorts the debate about Abor…
Conclusion: Honouring The Past and Looking Forward
- Treaties constitute a thread of continuity woven through the earliest beginnings of the Canadian state until today. However, treaty relationships have looked different over the years. Before the Conquest, treaties helped maintain peace for the purposes of trade and war. From the outset of the Seven Years’ War to the close of the War of 1812 in 1814, Indigenous nations wielded consid…