Indigenous peoples are culturally
distinct ethnic groups who are native to a particular place. According to the
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), “It is estimated
that there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70
countries worldwide. Spread across the world from the Arctic to the South
Pacific, they are the descendants - according to a common definition - of those
who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of
different cultures or ethnic origins arrived. The new arrivals later became
dominant through conquest, occupation, settlement or other means.”
The Canadian Constitution of 1982
recognizes the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people as three distinct
Indigenous groups within Canada.
First Nations is a term used to
describe Indigenous peoples in Canada who are
not Métis or Inuit. There are 634 recognized First Nations band
governments across Canada, speaking more than 50 distinct languages. Most of
the First Nations band governments are primarily located in the provinces of
Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
The Inuit are a group of culturally
similar people inhabiting the Arctic regions
of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska.
“In Canada, the Inuit live throughout most of Northern
Canada in the territory of Nunavut, Nunavik in
the northern third
of Quebec, Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut in Labrador and
in various parts of the Northwest Territories, particularly around
the Arctic Ocean, in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.”
Since the 18th
century, the word Metis has been used to describe individuals with mixed
Indigenous and European ancestry.
What distinguishes
Métis people from everyone else is that they associate themselves with a
culture that is distinctly Métis, which originates from mixed descendants of
the Indigenous peoples and European fur traders who settled in present-day
Manitoba. There are others outside of the Métis Nation who also identify as
Métis, particularly in Quebec and the Maritimes.
As of 2016, Indigenous peoples in
Canada total approximately 1.67 million people, yet this number represents only
approximately 4.9% of the national population.
We all share this land that was
originally inhabited by the Indigenous people of Canada. As we become more
aware and make a choice to take action to discover the truth of this past with
genuine acceptance, we can then move forward with a new perspective that
encompasses a deeper understanding of the lingering ripple effects abuse of
power has on the spirit and soul of a people, community, and nation.
"Realize that
we as human beings have been put on this earth for only a short time and that
we must use this time to gain wisdom, knowledge, respect and the understanding
for all human beings since we are all relatives." – Cree Proverb