Aboriginal Peoples of Canada Notes

Terminology

  • Terms for Indigenous people were historically imposed by colonizers; self-identification is now emphasized.

  • "Indigenous" refers to pre-existing sovereignty before settler contact.

  • Canada uses "Aboriginal" or "Indigenous"; the U.S. uses "Native American" or "American Indian."

  • Use community or nation-specific names over historical European names (e.g., Haudenosaunee).

  • Use "contact" or "encounter" instead of "discovery" or "New World."

Legal Terminology in Canada

  • Aboriginal peoples are divided into First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

  • First Nations/Indian Bands reside on reserves.

  • Inuit are from northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and eastern Siberia; located in Nunavut, NWT, Northern Quebec (Nunavik) and Labrador.

  • Métis are of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry, mainly in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

  • "Indian" is a legal term; Status Indians are recognized by the government and entitled to programs/services.

Origins of Aboriginal Peoples

  • Archaeologists suggest Asian immigrants crossed the Bering Strait ~15,000 years ago.

  • Aboriginal peoples maintain their ancestors have always been on the American continent, citing creation myths.

Pre-Contact Population

  • Estimates range from 30-100 million in the Americas; Canada had 500,000-2 million.

  • At least 50 cultures existed in Canada, classified into 12 linguistic groups.

Regional/Cultural Classification

  • Adaptability to the environment shaped social customs.

  • Six main groups: Eastern Woodlands/Subarctic, Plains, Plateau, Pacific Coast, Western/Eastern Subarctic, Arctic.

  • Shared characteristics: religion, understanding of nature, trade systems, war tradition, attitudes to sex/childrearing.

Eastern Woodlands

  • Atlantic Coast (Algonquian-speaking): Mi’kmaq, Maliseet.

  • Southeastern Canadian Shield (Algonquian-speaking): Ojibwa, Algonquin, Abenaki.

  • Great Lakes (Iroquoian-speaking): Iroquois (Haudenosaunee), Hurons (Wendat), Neutrals, Petun.

Algonquian Peoples of the Atlantic Coast

  • Mi'kmaq and Abenaki used coastal and inland resources like fish, shellfish, seals, caribou, and deer.

  • Semi-sedentary lifestyle with seasonal moves.

  • Summer: large groups near the sea coast, estuaries, or along rivers for fishing and collecting resources.

Algonquian Peoples of the Southeastern Canadian Shield

  • Ojibwa, Algonquin, Abenaki were nomadic hunters-gatherers.

  • Deer was the primary game, with moose and caribou in the north.

  • Gathered berries, nuts, tubers, and traded with southern groups for agricultural products.

Iroquoian-Speaking Peoples of the Great Lakes

  • Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee), Hurons (Wendat), Petun, and Neutral.

  • Farmers growing corn, beans, squash ("Three Sisters"), sunflowers, and tobacco.

  • The Three Sisters interplanting system had ecological benefits (support, weed control, natural fertilizer).

Social Organization (Iroquoian)

  • Farming allowed a large population, villages of ~2,000 people.

  • Villages were semi-permanent, relocating every 10-15 years due to soil fertility.

  • Lived in longhouses shared by 6-8 families.

  • Wealthy societies with sophisticated political/religious organization.

  • Council of sachems (chiefs) chosen by clan mothers.

  • Traded with Algonquian neighbors using wampum (shells).

Plains Indians

  • Languages: Algonquian, Siouan, Athabascan (Dene).

  • Nomadic lifestyle centered on the buffalo for food, housing, clothing, and fuel.

  • Hunted cooperatively using buffalo jumps/pounds.

  • Buffalo provided diverse materials, including hides, bladders, bones, and horns.

Peoples of the Plateau

  • Located between BC coastal and Rocky Mountains.

  • Languages: Athabascan (Dene) and Salishan.

  • Relied on seasonal hunting, fishing (salmon), and gathering.

  • Salmon was caught using weirs or nets.

  • Semi-nomadic, living in mat lodges, tipis, and pit houses.

  • Transportation via dugout canoes and snowshoes.

  • Egalitarian society with chiefs organizing economic activities.

Nations of the Pacific Coast

  • Linguistic diversity, trade language of Chinook Jargon.

  • Plentiful food: sea mammals, fish, shellfish, fruits, tubers, and plants.

  • Densely populated, permanent settlements in cedar houses.

  • Sophisticated social, ceremonial, and artistic life.

  • Society was hierarchical with private property (house sites), hereditary nobles, commoners, and slaves.

Aboriginal People: Subarctic

  • Boreal forest from Bering Sea to Labrador.

  • Languages: Algonquian (East) and Dene/Athabaskan (West).

  • Hunted, fished, and gathered wild plants.

  • Modest population densities.

  • Lived in communities of 25-30 people, moving frequently.

  • Small shelters of skin or bark.

  • Organized into bands, valued personal autonomy, and had flexible social organization.

Peoples of the Arctic

  • Ancestors (Thule people) migrated from Alaska around 1000 AD, replacing the Dorset culture.

  • Inuit means “the people” in Inuktitut.

  • Lived in regional bands of related families, moving seasonally.

  • Cooperation and sharing were fundamental.

  • Sea mammal hunting (seals) was the main food source.

  • In summer/fall, they hunted caribou, fished, gathered, and hunted polar bears/whales.

  • Inventions: igloo (igluvigak) and kayak.