Aboriginal Peoples | Discover Canada Guide

This topic calls for particular care because it involves both factual classification and Canada's difficult historical record.

Three distinct groups

The Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes three distinct groups of Aboriginal peoples in Canada: First Nations (a term used since the 1980s in place of "Indian," referring to hundreds of distinct nations with their own histories, languages, and governments), Inuit (Indigenous peoples of the Arctic, primarily in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, northern Quebec, and Labrador), and Métis (a distinct people descended from historic unions between First Nations and European, mainly French, settlers, with their own culture and the Michif language). Shares of the Indigenous population in the 2021 Census (Statistics Canada): First Nations 58.0%, Métis 34.5%, Inuit 3.9%. The 2012 edition of Discover Canada gives older figures of about 65%, 30%, and 4%, so the test may still use those.

Self-government and treaties

Many First Nations govern themselves through band councils and, increasingly, through modern treaties and self-government agreements that recognize a degree of jurisdiction over land, resources, and community affairs, alongside historic treaties signed with the Crown going back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

Residential schools and reconciliation

For much of the 20th century, the federal government, working with churches, operated a residential school system that forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families, banned their languages and cultural practices, and caused lasting harm across generations. In 2008, the Government of Canada formally apologized to former students of residential schools, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established to document this history and recommend a path toward reconciliation.

Why this topic matters for citizenship

Understanding Aboriginal history and the ongoing process of reconciliation matters for every new citizen, because Aboriginal peoples are Canada's first peoples and still shape Canadian identity today.