Aboriginal
Peoples
Of Canada
The Importance of Words
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The word “Aboriginal” includes all First Nation,
Metis and Inuit people, according to the
Constitution Act of 1982.
You may have heard other names, including
“Indian”, “Native”, and “Indigenous”, but these
have different meanings to different people.
To some, these words do not properly represent
the huge variety of cultures found in Canada’s
aboriginal community.
Aboriginal People
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Before European settlers arrived in Canada
about 500 years ago, First Nations and Inuit
peoples had the country pretty much to
themselves.
They lived in groups called tribes, with many
different ways of life and traditions.
A tribe was usually subdivided into bands or
villages of a few families.
As time passed the tribal community began
to develop a national identity. Each
community shared the same language and
culture and it also developed its own political
organization and power over its own territory.
For this reason, the different groups of
Aboriginal peoples are now called nations.
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Some were
nomadic, which
means they
moved from place
to place while
hunting and
gathering food.
Others were
farmers who
settled down in a
particular area.
The weather and
the type of land
where each tribe
lived helped to
shape their
traditions and
culture.
Aboriginal People
Aboriginal People
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There are 52 aboriginal languages spoken in Canada!
There are many different aboriginal languages in
Canada, but some of them are related to each other by
a common ancestral language.
In fact, different tribes across Canada can be grouped
together into 11 “language families” based on how their
languages are related.
Some examples of language families include
Athapaskan, Algonquian and Iroquoian.
Video =
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULyRPpYHxdo&featu
re=related
Eastern
Woodlands
Eastern
Woodlands
Two main First
Nations groups lived
in the eastern
woodlands; the
Iroquois, who were
farmers, and the
Algonquians, who
were hunters.
The Algonquian
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The woodlands were home to deer, bear,
moose, caribou, fish and even seals and
whales on the coast. The Algonquian tribes
had developed great skills and tools to hunt
them.
They also gathered food that grew wild, like
wild rice and berries. You can imagine why
they needed to move around a lot more than
the Iroquois! They usually built smaller homes
that could be taken down easily, like tipis and
wigwams.
The Mi’kmaq Nation
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Maritime Provinces
Algonquian
They were migratory, which means they moved
from place to place according to the seasons.
In the spring, summer and fall, they lived near the
seashore (salmon, eel, lobster, clams, seals)
 In the winter, they moved closer inland to hunt larger
animals (moose, caribou, bear…)
The continuing search of food was a central part of
their life. The main job of the chiefs was to assign
hunting and gathering territories to each family
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Shelter
1.Homes are called
wigwams
2.Usually put together by
women.
3.Made using poles tied
together.
4.Birchbark was used for
the covering.
5.There was a hole in the
top for smoke to escape.
6.Floor was made of
animal fur.
7.The door was also
animal hide.
Mi’kmaq nation
Glooscap Legend:
Glooscap, the first human,
was created out of a bolt of
lightening in the sand and
remains a figure that
appears in many of the
Mi’kmaq legends. These
legends are stories that are
passed down from
generation to generation
and tell of the Mi’kmawq
culture.
Glooscap is also believed to
have brought the Mi'kmaq
stoneware, knowledge of
good and evil, fire, tobacco
fishing nets, and canoes,
making him a cultural hero.
The Mi’kmaq Nation:
Government
 Basic
unit in Mi’kmaw society was the
extended family (30-200 people), which
was led by a chief or sagamore (elected
ruler among First Nations of Eastern
Canada)
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fundamental principles:
Respect for the rights of the people
Respect and preservation of the
environment
The Mi’kmaq Nation:
Government
 System
of self-government
 Leaders were appointed by the people
 Elders opinions were important
 Disputes were settled through mediation
 Contact and trade with Europeans
eventually led to the expansion of their
political structure.
 Mi’kmaw territory was divided into 7
geographical districts.
The Mi’kmaq Nation:
3 levels of Government
Local Council
Chief
Powers
Duties
Geographic
Constituency
Leadership
Characteristics
District
Council Chief
Grand Council
Chief
Local Council Chief
 Presides
over the Council of Elders
 Council of Elders was usually made
up of the heads of families or
representatives
Responsibilities consisted of:
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Making decisions within local areas
Take care of supplies, dogs, canoes, hunting,
emergencies (providing for villages)
Were teachers and role models for the young
Training hunters
Local Council Chief cont’d
 The
Local Chief
was always male
and came from a
prominent family
 They were of good
character and
they were very
good hunters
District Council Chief
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Total of 7, 1 for each of the 7
Mi’Kmaq districts
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Presides over council of local
chiefs
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Responsible for several
villages/communities within
his district
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Met during spring, summer or
fall to settle problems such as
peace and war
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Act as arbitrator - would
listen to both parties and
settle dispute
District Council Chief
The responsibilities of the
Chief included:
 Attending Local
Council meetings
 Take care of problems
among districts,
villages, nations
 District Chief was
eldest male of large
powerful family
 Good hunters
Grand Council Chief
 Grand
Chief is most
important
 When he speaks,
everyone listens.
 Presides over Grand
Council
Responsibilities included:
 Defending territory
 Taking care of any
orphaned children
 Help with providing
food and supplies
Grand
Council Chief
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The Grand chief had to
have an exceptional
character
Was an excellent hunter
2 ways to become a Grand
Chief:
 Hereditary (unless the
father did not feel they
were worthy of the
position)
 Survive in woods for several
days without food or
water. Must make a camp
for 2 people and wait to
see if another person
arrives. If this occurs, he is
capable of being Grand
Chief
Mi’kmaq Government
Pre Contact
Local Council Chief
District Council Chief
Grand Council Chief
Powers
Presides over Council of
Elders
Presides over local chiefs
Presides over Grand
Council and local and
district councils
Duties
Made decisions for local
areas, took care of supplies
– dogs, canoes, hunting.
Took care of emergencies,
acted as teachers and role
models, trained hunters
Acted as arbitrator, attend
local council meetings,
took care of problems
among districts, villages
Defend territory, took care
of orphaned children, help
with providing food and
supplies for community.
Geographic Constituency
Local area, village or
community
There is one for each of the
7 districts each made up of
several villages,
communities
Responsible for all 7
Mi’kmaq districts
Leadership Characteristics
Male from a prominent
family, good character,
good hunters
Eldest male from a large
powerful family, good
hunters
Exceptional character,
excellent hunters,
hereditary, survive in
woods and create a new
camp
The Iroquois
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Southern Ontario
The Hurons lived north of Lake Ontario and the Iroquois
confederacy lived south of the lake.
The name Canada comes from the Huron-Iroquois word
Kanata, which means village or community.
Video =
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1jG58nghRo&feature
=related
Every Iroquois belonged to a clan, named after an animal;
for example, Bear, Turtle, Wolf.
The basic unit was the matrilineal family (combination of all
the individual families descended from the oldest living
woman)
If she was a member of the Bear clan, all daughters,
grandsons/daughters belonged to the Bear clan. Husbands
were from other clans or nations.
The Iroquois
 The
Iroquois used the rich soil where they
lived to grow corn, tobacco, squash and
beans. In fact, they were so good at
farming that they traded their extra corn
and tobacco with tribes further north for
animal pelts and porcupine quills.
 Corn, beans and squash were called the
Three Sisters, as they were grown together
 They lived in towns of up to 2500 people
and shared large “longhouses” made
from elm or cedar trees.
Longhouses
The Iroquois
Confederacy
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Founded by Dekanahwideh, who convinced
the 5 nations to stop the war amongst one
another.
Their motto was “one heart, one mind, one
law.”
The Confederacy originally consisted of 5
nations: the Mohawk, the Oneida, the
Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca.
They were later joined by the Tuscaroras and
the Confederacy became known as the Six
Nations.
Known today as the Haudenosaunee
The Iroquois
Confederacy
Government
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Men became chiefs, but were chosen by the Clan
Mother (oldest woman, who had the power to remove a
chief and appoint another.
Village Council: Looked after village matters. Council
members were all men, headed by the village chief. All
village council members represented various clans in a
village and were appointed by their clan matrons.
Council of a Nation: Dealt with affairs of the nation.
Members were head chiefs from all the villages in a
nation.
Confederacy or Grand Council: Looked after issues
affecting all the nations in the confederacy. Members
were a delegation of chiefs from each of the nations (50
chiefs in all). All were men, but were chosen by women.
All members were equal – there was no council chief.
They practiced a form of representative democracy in
which votes were given to delegates from all Nations in
annual meetings. Decisions required a consensus.
The Hurons
 Lived
north of Lake Ontario
 They were successful traders who wanted
to build a monopoly and discouraged
other nations from trading with one
another.
 They used birch bark canoes to transport
the produce from farms.
 They were rivals with Iroquois confederacy
and both groups often raided the other.
Shelter
 The
Iroquoians were farmers who did not need to
move around so their houses could be much larger
and sturdier. They built elm or cedar-bark
“longhouses” which were big enough for several
families to live in together.
Plains Tribes
Plains Tribes
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One time, there were as many as sixty million bison
(or buffalo) roaming the plains region! They thrived
in the extreme weather of the Canadian prairies
and were the single most important animal to the
tribes living there (including the Blackfoot, the
Plains Cree and the Sioux).
The culture of these peoples had everything to do
with the bison. They were used for food, tipis,
clothing, containers and tools. Their traditions were
also closely tied to these animals and to their
natural surroundings.
Later on, horses became very important to their
culture when Europeans brought them to Canada.
Before horses, they walked on foot or used dogs to
pull their packs.
Plains Tribes and the Travois
 The
travois was
made from 2 long
poles lashed
together and
contained netting
to carry goods.
 The Plains people
developed it to
easily transport
children and
belongings.
The Blackfoot
 Plain
Tribe in Alberta
 Two examples of their religious beliefs
were the medicine bundle and the Sun
Dance
The Blackfoot
The Medicine Bundle
•
Protection against harm
•
A rawhide bag that contained
medicine pipe, feathers from an
eagle or owl, sweet grass,
chokecherry wood, pieces of
tobacco, stones etc…
•
They were passed on to
members of the nation during a
ceremony or a young Blackfoot
could go into the wilderness for
days without food or sleep. He
would pray to the spirits for
advice. Eventually he would fall
asleep and dream of the items
that had special powers to him.
He would then go and collect
those items.
The Blackfoot
The Sun Dance
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Held in early summer
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People who suffered from bad
luck during the past year, or
hoped for special help in the
year ahead, took part.
•
Young men who took part stayed
in a tipi together for several days.
They fasted and were prepared
by the shaman (medicine man).
•
The shaman would make pairs of
cuts in each person’s chest or
back. Under the skin he looped
leather strips, which were
connected to the center pole.
•
Each person then danced,
gazing into the sun and seeking
power there. He pulled on the
ropes, until the flesh gave away
and he was free.
•
The scars that formed after a few
weeks were looked upon as a
badge of courage.
The Sun Dance
Shelter
On the Plains most tribes
moved around a lot to
hunt buffalo and gather
plants for food. The most
common home was a tipi,
built with long poles that
were tied together at the
top and covered by
buffalo hides.
Often they had to travel
great distances to find tall
straight trees that would
make good tipi poles, so
they brought them along
whenever they moved
camp. Tipis were built and
set up very precisely so
that they would stay dry,
keep extra warm in the
winter and stand up
against strong winds.
Plateau Tribes
Plateau Tribes
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The tribes of the Plateau in British Columbia
depended on two very important rivers, the Fraser
and the Thomson, to support their life. These rivers
were full of prized salmon which they ate and
traded, as well as trout and whitefish.
Deer, caribou, elk, and mountain sheep living
nearby were important for food too. The tribes also
used the rivers for traveling by canoe and for
transporting goods to trade with other groups.
Since there were many trees on the land around the
rivers, many tribes made log huts covered with bark
for shelter. The major tribes from the Plateau include
the Interior Salish, Kootenay, and Athapaskan.
Shelter
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Many of the Plateau tribes lived in log huts covered with
bark or grass. In the winter, some lived in “pit houses.” These
houses were holes dug into the ground, with a coneshaped roof held up by wooden poles, and covered with
branches and dirt. They used a ladder to enter and leave
through an opening at the top.
Northwest Coast
Northwest Coast
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Known as the salmon people
The Haida, Tlingit and the other groups from that area.
There was plenty of food everywhere, from deer and bear
to ducks, seals and fish, not to mention all kinds of fruits
and edible plants.
Thousands of pacific salmon would swim up the rivers
each year, a main source of food for the peoples of the
coast.
Their way of life revolved around their natural
surroundings; the towering cedar trees were used to make
boats, totem poles, houses, fish nets, baskets and clothing,
which meant that most tribes were skilled at carpentry,
spinning and weaving.
And since different foods were found in specific areas
during certain times of the year, tribes would often move
from their winter villages to other sites throughout the
seasons, then back again to their home base.
Northwest Coast
The Totem Pole
• Examples of artwork
• Each part of the
pole reveals
something about an
important person,
spirit or event in a
family’s past history.
• They were carved
out of cedar trees
with stones
•
Video =
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=648gwEl
cPzU&feature=related
Northwest Coast
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The community was divided into two groups –
nobles and commoners.
A person was born into one group or the
other.
The nobles had more rights; for example, they
had the right to fish in the best locations.
Within each group, the members were ranked
in order of importance.
The chief ranking nobleman was the chief
Northwest Coast:
The Potlatch
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The word potlatch means giving
Property was shared among the members of the community
and was a means of dealing with economic inequalities within
a village
It is a ceremony given by a family for another family/families
The host gave presents to each of the guests.
The most valuable gift went to the highest-ranking guest and
so on down the line. Presents could include huge amounts of
food, cedar canoes other goods.
The guest receiving the gifts were like witnesses to a contract
confirming the host host’s step up the ladder of success.
It was usually held to mark a major event, such as a marriage,
a birth or the naming of a new chief.
All important guests were bound to respond by holding their
own potlatch
Modern Day Potlatch
Subarctic
Subarctic
 This
part of Canada covers a huge area and
includes many different tribes, including the
Gwich’in up in the Yukon, the Dene in the
northwest, The Cree and Ojibwa in the East, to
name a few.
 Even though there were a wide variety of tribes in
this region, there weren’t that many people
altogether living there.
 That’s partly because the weather is extreme and
harsh and partly because many of the larger
animals for hunting would migrate south during the
winter.
Subarctic
 Many
bands would live by
following the herds wherever
they went, so they were always
moving from place to place.
 Since
life was harder in this part
of Canada, different bands
worked together a lot to help
each other survive. People
would form groups to do certain
tasks, like trapping, gathering
berries and fishing. They would
also trade food and medicine.
Arctic
The Arctic Inuit
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It’s not surprising that the Inuit culture is quite different from
other groups, when you consider the cold, harsh
environment of the Arctic.
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There are no trees, lots of deep snow and thick ice, and
unique animals, such as seals, walrus, whales and caribou
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To get around on the snow and ice, hunt and stay warm, the
Inuit people developed a very unique way of life. They
created different kinds of hunting gear, like harpoons; they
had dog sleds and kayaks to get around; and built
temporary igloos for shelter when on hunting expeditions.
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The Inuit people knew a great deal about their natural
surroundings and passed this knowledge on to their children
through storytelling and other important traditions.
Inuit Technology
 Sunglasses:
Made of ivory or
wood, these goggles would have
thin slits through which a person
could look without being blinded
by sun reflecting off the snow
 Cheap Energy: They made
lamps of stone or whalebone,
with moss for a wick and seal
blubber for fuel
 Transportation: Dog sleds, kayaks
 Harpoons: the head was made
from stone and was attached
with walrus-hide line to a shaft of
walrus tusk
video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UIrgAFW3aQ
Video of where I lived (Tuktoyaktuk) =
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFJeYbWkcms&feature=related
Shelter
While hunting out on the
sea ice, they would build
igloos only as a temporary
shelter from the wind and
cold. However some Inuit
groups began to use igloos
for the entire winter.
Other winter houses were
built with stones and
covered with sod. The
coastal Inuit sometimes
built larger homes that
were partly dug into the
ground and covered by
seal skin or sod roofs. To
make summer homes,
animal hides were sewn
together and held up with
sticks or whale ribs.
Aboriginal Clothing
Food
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It took a lot of patience and skill, and an
understanding of nature’s cycles, to be able to get
enough food to survive all year in Canada. First
Nation and Inuit peoples used many different
strategies: hunting, gathering wild plants, farming,
and trading food between tribes. One thing was for
certain; nothing was ever wasted, especially the
animals.
Go to the following web site to see how every part
of the Bison was used:
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/first_n
ations_inuit/food.cfm
Medicine
Over 500 drugs in use day
originated in Aboriginal
societies.
For example, they used a
drink made from cedar
bark and needles to cure
scurvy. (vitamin C)
James Lind took this
information and used lime
juice, which led to the
discovery of vitamins.
They also used willow and
poplar bark for aches and
pains, which is now in
aspirin.
Picture is a Blackfoot Shaman
Trade
Economies
 Trade
in aboriginal communities was
based, partly on the need for goods
found in other areas and partly on
establishing and maintaining friendly
relations with neighbouring peoples.
 The exchange of gifts and kindness
reinforced alliances and brought prestige
to the giver.
Wampum
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The most frequently traded
items were arrowheads,
tools, and shells.
Aboriginal peoples traded
shell beads known as
wampum.
Wampum was threaded on
a string or woven into belts.
Wampum
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Wampum were threaded
onto a string or woven into
belts. The patterns
represented events or
alliances.

Many Aboriginal people in
the northeastern part of
North America used the
wampum as a way of
recording and sending
messages.
World View and
Economic Structures
 Aboriginal
Peoples spiritual philosophy reflects a
close relationship between their economies and the
natural world.
 Aboriginal
peoples believed that nature was a
continuous web in which humans were equal, but
not superior, to the land, plants, animals, and water.
 Most
Aboriginal societies practised a lifestyle of
sustainable development in which they took from
the environment only what they needed in order to
survive.
 This
philosophy enabled them to use their resources
efficiently and with little waste.
Property
Ownership
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Aboriginal people did not belief that they owned
the land, but rather were entrusted to preserve the
land for future generations.
When the Europeans arrived, they considered
North America as new lands and claimed them as
their own territories and the resources located on
them.
As Europeans expanded, the Aboriginal nations
began to claim title (a legitimate claim to land)to
the lands they traditionally occupied.
Violence and wars often broke out between
Aboriginals and Europeans, which led to treaties.
Treaties
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Aboriginals used treaties with one another to
determine who would use the land and how it would
be used. They honoured and respected these
treaties.
Treaties between the Dominion of Canada and the
British relocated Aboriginals to plots of land called
reserves. As part of the agreement, the Aboriginals
received money and annual payments afterwards.
The government was to recognize traditional hunting
and fishing rights.
The government believed the treaties to be a bill of
sale of the land.
The Aboriginals believed the treaties to be
agreements about the ways the land would be used.
Mi’kmaq
Treaties
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In the 1700s, the Mi’kmaq signed a series of treaties with
the British.
In exchange for their loyalty to the crown, the Mi’kmaq
would continue to have hunting and fishing rights in
their territory.
1763, British government stated that no European
settlement would be allowed west of the Appalachian
Mountains because the lands were reserved for the
Mi’kmaq.
Nova Scotia did not honour this and sold off much of
the land.
The Mi’kmaq petitioned for more land, but colonial
squatters took much of it.
In the 20th century, the Mi’kmaq had strict limitations
placed on their hunting and fishing rights.
In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that the Mi’kmaq had
the right to catch enough fish to earn a moderate
livelihood
Self-Government
 The
Indian Act of 1876 stated that
decisions affecting Aboriginal peoples in
Canada were made by the federal
government.
 In the 1980s, a major goal of Aboriginal
communities was the right for them to be
able to govern matters affecting their
culture, languages, traditions, and
institutions.
The Nisga’a
Agreement
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The Nisga’a of BC never signed any treaties
with the British or the Canadian government.
Within a 100 years, their land was taken away
for forestry and minerals.
In 1973, the Supreme Court rules that they
had title to the land before colonization.
A landmark agreement was reached in 1999.
The Nisga’a achieved self-government, $253
million in compensation, and rights to forest
and mineral resources and hunting and
fishing rights. They has to give up their claims
to 80% of their traditional land.