The Aboriginal Community

The aboriginal culture is very diverse depending on the region being inhabited. Before Canada was created, the land was divided differently from our typical 10 Provinces and 3 Territories. Here are 2 pictures of the Canadian map.

The first map is Canada today, and the second map is Canada before it was inhabited by Europeans. The differences in the two maps are quite drastic.

Aboriginal culture depended on the resources available in the region and on the weather and topography in the region. You may be thinking, why is weather and topography important? To answer you question, it’s important because the environment influences the people (due to adaption). For example, eating seal would be most common in the Arctic region rather than the Plains etc.

Each region had their own language, type of clothing, and food. Canada was split up into 6 regions: The Arctic, The Subarctic, The Eastern Woodlands, The Plains, The Plateau, and the Northwest Coast. Each region possessed their own unique way of living.

The Arctic

• Long daylight hours, moderate temperatures in summer
• Long, cold winters often spent in near total darkness
• Absence of trees
• Inhabited by Inuit peoples (descendants of Thule culture 1000CE)
• Eskimo Aleut (Inuktitut) language group
• Universal early adulthood marriage
• Technology- bone, horn, antler, ivory, stone, animal skins, baleen for basketry
• Inuit inventions considered “technological masterpieces” given available materials
• Economy based on sea mammal hunting- particularly seal
• Significant ceremonies beginning at birth (naming, betrothal)

The Subarctic

• Area is 5 million square meters, 3/4 of which is on the Canadian Shield
• Has extremes of temperature (-40 Degrees Celsius Winter to 30 Degrees Celsius+ in Summer)
• Dene, Carrier, and Cree peoples as well as Inland Tlingit
• Algonquin (East) and Athpaskan (West) language groups
• Most sparsely populated region of Canada
• Estimated population across entire region is 60,000
• Few material possessions due to need to follow food supply
• Myths and legends focused on the idea of animals taking human form

The Eastern Woodlands

• 2 unrelated language groups- Algonquin and Iroquoian
• Algonquin occupied land from Lake Superior to the Atlantic
• Lived in villages south of the Great Lakes and the St.Lawrence
• Iroquoian speakers- warring tradition- men hunted and fished- women cultivated beans, maise, squash, and tobacco- when soil depleted in 1 place they moved to new sites
• Algonquin speakers- lives were governed by seasons- hunted in Fall/Winter- harvested roots in summer
• European people wanted their beaver fur, & Aboriginals wanted their guns- had business trade together for many years

The Plains

• Encompasses nomadic Blackfoot, Saulteaux
• Buffalo culture- buffalo meets all their needs
• Buffalo meat was eaten at every meal
• Plains woman played important roles in religious rituals
• Athapascan, Algonquin, and Siouan speakers
• Hollywood “indians”- the stereotypical Indian from long ago
• Region stretches as far south as Mississippi in the US

The Plateau

• Inhabit a small region
• Arrived from South some 10,000 years ago as glaciers northwards
• Great diversity of dress, religious beliefs, and language
• Main language groups are Athapaskan, Salishian, and Ktunaxa
• Fishing and foraging were mainstays of bands living in this region
• Semi-underground dwellings (shelter) in winter
• Built bulrush covered wooden lodges in summer
• Traded copper, jadeite, and herbs to the coast Indians for otter pelts, oolichan oil and decorative baskets

The Northwest Coast

• Continuously inhabited 10,000+ years
• Fished and hunted all year due to moderate temperatures
• As many as 70 distinct inhabit the region
• Home to Halda, Tsimshian, Tlingit, Salisham
• Food is varied and abundant
• Live in longhouses- made from big trees
• Renowned carvers of totem, masks, bowls, and helmets
• Revered shamans for their links to the spirit world
• Pot latch, storytelling, dancing, and gift giving etc was all very important to culture

Though each region had their differences, they also had their similarities. For instance, it is a fact that all First Nations people hold a high seat for their elders. In their culture, elders are most respected and come to great importance for certain rituals, storytelling, and governing the community overall. As well as that, all First Nations value spirituality with animals.

Vocabulary Check

These are some words that you may need to be familiar with to proceed in this section on Aboriginal People in Canada.

1. Aboriginal– Refers to the original inhabitants of Canada and includes: Inuit, Métis, and First Nations.
2. Inuit– Culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada.
3. Métis– Aboriginal people of Canada who trace their lineage to mixed European and First Nation parentage in early Canada. European heritage is typically French or Scottish and while once thought of as separate groups, this is not true is current Métis society.
4. First Nation– Communities of Aboriginal people who identify themselves as distinct cultural groups, who are the descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada and are neither Inuit nor Métis. Each First Nation has its own name e.g Musqueam Nation.
5. Indian– 1. A misnomer referring to the Aboriginal peoples of North and South America. -2. A derogatory term used to refer to Aboriginal peoples of North America. -3. The legally correct term describing First Nations people in Canada (status or non-status people). -4. The culturally accepted term for Aboriginal people in US.
6. Band– A group of people living together on an Indian Reserve. Similar to “tribes” in the US.
7. Clan– Groups within bands and/or nations.
8. Indian Reserve– Specified by the Indian Act as a “tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band.”
9. Indian Act 1876– The Act of Parliament which governs First Nations people in Canada- both status and indirectly non-status.
10. Assimilation– The process by which one distinct group of people in a society gradually become culturally indistinguishable from the majority.
11. Colonization– The act or process of establishing control over a country or area by a more powerful and often distant country.
12. Appropriation– Culturally, this is the adoption of specific elements of one culture by a different, and often dominant, cultural group.
13. Matrilineal– Lineage which is traced through the mother’s side of the family.
14. Patrilineal– Lineage or kinship traced through the father’s side of the family.
15. Oral Tradition– Cultural material, tradition and law transmitted orally from one generation to the next.
16. Agency– The capacity of an individual to act in the world. The opposite might be victimization.

Introduction: A National Controversy

To many, Aboriginal people are simply a race of people- just like anyone else. However in Canada, not only are Aboriginal people the native race of the country, but they are also a national controversy. It’s hard to come to a point where a race becomes a controversial topic, but in Canada Aboriginals are because of the vast amount of history of quarrels between European settlers in Canada.

Here in Canada there are many stereotypes of Aboriginal people. For this section, it would be ideal to identify those stereotypes before hand so that they can be addressed with reasoning later on in this section. So what are some stereotypes of Aboriginal people? (And please keep in mind these are just stereotypes and like majority, are very false.)

• Alcohol abuse
• Low rates of high school graduation
• Drug abuse
• Early pregnancy
• Broken homes
• Welfare
• Extra government support
• Don’t have to pay taxes

I do realize that these points are quite harsh to be stereotypes, but in reality these points are true in many people’s minds. But why? Think of any stereotypes you may have of Aboriginal people (if you have any) and ask yourself why do you have them? These stereotypes are quite racist and over half they time Canadians don’t even realize that they are being racist. As ignorant as that sounds, it is because being racist of Aboriginal people has been so deeply embedded into our society that it’s seemed as a social norm. Aboriginal racism is sadly systemic and isn’t something to be proud of, which is why it is vital for people everywhere to be aware of the history of Aboriginal people and their culture.