A term used in Canada to describe Canadian aboriginal peoples, introduced in the 1980s as a response to French- and English-Canadian claims to be the two founding nations. They are represented in land claim and constitutional discussions with Ottawa by the Association of First Nations.
First Nations is a term of ethnicity used in Canada. Collectively, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples are known as Aboriginal peoples, First peoples, or Indigenous peoples, bands, or nations. A national representative body of the First Nations in Canada is the Assembly of First Nations.
First Nations people have been referred to as Indians, Native Americans, Native Canadians, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Autochthones (a term used by French Canadians), and Aboriginal peoples.
There is some controversy over the use of the term "First Nations" to either self-describe Indigenous peoples within Canada, or for non-indigenous peoples to refer to Indigenous peoples in this fashion. The reason for this controversy is that under international law covenants, "First Nations" per se have no standing in international law as "indigenous peoples" or "nations" do.
The Canadian government, many Indigenous peoples within Canada, and many non-indigenous people use the term First Nations, because they are attempting to be respectful of the right of Indigenous people to use whichever word that they want to describe themselves.
In general, those Indigenous peoples within Canada who describe themselves as "First Nations" do not believe or hold with the concept of sovereignty of Indigenous peoples as nation-states, while those who do not use the term, or insist upon the term "Indigenous peoples" are sovereignists.
Indian reserves, if arranged in Canadian law by treaties such as Treaty 7, are the contemporary lands of First Nations. There are more reserves in Canada than there are First Nations, as some First Nations were ceded by treaty more than one reserve. All members of First Nations who are entitled to benefits are entered in the Indian Register, which serves as the official record of members of First Nations.
Under the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the document many people refer to as the "Indian Magna Carta", the Crown refers to the Indigenous people in British territory as "Tribes or Nations".
History
Interaction with European-Canadians
Aboriginal peoples in Canada have had interactions with Europeans as far back as 1000 AD (see History of Canada, European Contact), but prolonged contact came once European settlements took hold.
As far back as the late 18th century, First Nations believe they have been targeted for assimilation into what they call European/Canadian culture.
In 1885, some First Nations in (modern day) Western Canada became involved in the North-West Rebellion, as part of their resistance to Canadian westward expansion. In much of Canada, First Nations became subject to the controversial Numbered Treaties, while in other areas like British Columbia, treaties are still being negotiated today.
Late 20th Century
The Erasmus-Dussault commission
In 1991, Brian Mulroney created a royal commission, headed by co-chairmen George Erasmus and René Dussault. The most revolutionary proposal in the report was the creation of a government for (and by) the First Nations that would be fully responsible within its own juridiction, and with which the federal government would speak in a "Nation-to-Nation" manner. This proposal offered a far different way of doing politics from the traditional policy of assigning all First Nations matters under the juridiction of the Indian and Northern Affairs, managed by one minister of the federal cabinet. The report also recommended providing the governments of the First Nations with up to CAD$2 billion every year until 2010, in order to reduce the socioeconomic gap between the First Nations and the rest of the Canadian citizenry. Finally, the report insisted it was important for First Nations leaders to actively think of ways to cope with the challenging issues their people were facing, so that the First Nations could take their destiny into their own hands.
The federal government, then headed by Jean Chrétien, responded to the report a year later by officially presenting its apologies for the forced acculturation the federal government imposed on the Natives, and by offering an "initial" provision of $350 million.
Several tripartite (federal, provincial, and First Nations) accords have been signed since the Eramus-Dussault commission, in the spirit advocated by the co-chairmen. In 2005, the leaders of the First Nations signed, with different provincial and federal governments, an agreement that would have yielded $5 million for 5 years, but the newly elected government of Stephen Harper refused to sign the deal.
Several crises throughout the country, between different provincial governments and different bands of the First Nations, also occurred in the late 20th century, notably:
Early 21st century
Currently many First Nations, along with their peers the Métis and the Inuit, claim to receive inadequate funding for education, and allege that their rights have been overlooked in many instances.
As of 2006, over 75 First Nations communities exist in boil-water advisory conditions .
Caledonia land dispute Kelowna AccordDiversity
There are many distinct First Nations cultures in Canada. These distinct cultures have origins from six geographic areas of Canada:
Pacific Coast and Mountains Plains Northeast Woodlands Atlantic Coastal Region St. Lawrence River Valley Canadian ArcticWhile diversity is also found in the number of languages of First Nations peoples, many of them are presently endangered with generally a decreasing number of speakers.
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