Native Studies By: Vince Ruggirello

Background The native people were the original inhabitants of Canada. They are thus called the Aboriginal people. They often refer to themselves as the First Nations. Their ancestors crossed into North America from Asia over years ago. The name "Indians" was given to them by Christopher Columbus, who wrongly thought that he had reached India. The original inhabitants lived in every natural region of Canada. Each group adapted to the land or sea in its own way. Each was affected by its neighbours and was constantly changing. Despite the diversity of the native people, they are still referred to in three broad categories:INUIT live in the Arctic. They were formerly called "Eskimos."INDIANS or FIRST NATIONS are members of bands."METIS are people of mixed ancestry.INUITINDIANSMETIS

ORIGINS The ancestors of the native people came from Asia. They crossed the Bering Strait either by land when the sea level was low and a "land bridge" was exposed, or by boat. When they came is unknown. Estimates range from about to years ago. However, the oldest artifacts (simple tools or ornaments) only date back some years.

CLASSIFICATION Native groups have been classified in a number of ways. Language is helpful. The 51 different languages used in Canada can be grouped into large families. However, some groups spoke the same language, but lived completely different lives. Some groups lived very similar lives but spoke completely different languages.A more useful classification is based on cultural areas. This recognizes that people who live in similar geographic areas, with similar resources, shared many things in common. The following articles group the native peoples of Canada into seven cultural areas:

Eastern Woodland:Farmers These Iroquoian-speaking peoples lived in present-day Ontario and New York State. They were the only native people in Canada to live by farming. They had similar religious practices, and lived in longhouses that were grouped into fortified villages. They were one of very few cultures that trace family patterns through mothers (matrilineal).

Wigwam A wigwam is a conical or dome-shaped house used by the native hunters of the Eastern Woodlands. Similar to the tipi of the Plains people, the wigwam had a framework of poles covered by birchbark or woven reed mats. One or more holes in the roof allowed the smoke from the fire to escape. Because wigwams were easy to build and take down, they were well suited to nomadic groups

Eastern Woodland: Hunters These peoples lived in small bands in the forests of Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces. Most spoke variations of the same Algonquian language. They lived on fish and game and traded for farm products with the people farther south. They also gathered wild rice. They moved about with birchbark canoes in summer and toboggans and dog teams in winter.

Northwest Coast These peoples lived in villages clustered near the mouths of salmon rivers or in protected harbours. Their societies were divided into classes, based on rank. They moved about their marine world in large dugout canoes. They lived an elaborate social life, marked by great feasts called potlatches. They are famous around the world for their wood-carving skills.

Plateau The Plateau peoples lived in the region of interior British Columbia that lies between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Coast Mountains on the west. Many wintered in pit houses, which were partly underground. They fished, hunted, and gathered plant foods.

Plains The Plains peoples' lives centred on the bison. They lived in conical TIPIS and sometimes gathered in large numbers to prepare for the bison hunt. In the 18th century, the people acquired horses, which greatly changed their way of life.TIPIS

Subartic This northern area resembles the Eastern Woodlands, but is far poorer in resources. The people of this region lived in birchbark WIGWAMS. Many followed the caribou. WIGWAMS

Food The food resources available had a strong effect on social and political organization. The hunters and gatherers of the Subarctic, Arctic, and Eastern Woodlands tended to live in small bands of kin because food resources would not normally support large populations. The abundant salmon runs of the Northwest Coast supported large villages. They also produced surpluses which could be collected by some members as wealth. The Iroquoian farmers also lived in villages and had more complex social and political arrangements.

Religious Beliefs The native peoples had rich spiritual lives and traditions. They passed their cultures from generation to generation through myths, legends, and stories. Their religious beliefs were based on an understanding that humans are part of the natural world. They believed that they could acquire powers that would help them in their daily lives and that if they showed respect for nature, it would continue to provide for them.

European Meeting Natives first met Europeans on the coasts beginning in the 1500s, and Europeans gradually worked their way through the continent. The most remote groups experienced this "contact" at a later date. The population of the Canadian native peoples in the 1500s has been estimated at over one million, but this number dropped drastically after the introduction of European diseases. Native lives were dramatically altered in other ways by the presence of Europeans, who encouraged them to adapt their lives to the fur trade. Later, Europeans tried to have the natives adapt to farming and wage labour. Some of these activities introduced new opportunities for natives, but the long-term consequences were that native peoples were forced from their traditional land. They lost their power over their own lives and they became impoverished.

Natives Today Today, natives are modern people who live much like other Canadians. However, some of their cultural patterns survive, rooted in their traditions and histories. They draw on their cultures as they try to resolve the many problems they face. They are reviving traditional ceremonies, pursuing new economic and political strategies, and regaining control of a wide range of institutions which govern their lives, such as health care and education.

Tools In each of these regions, the people developed cultures based on the resources available. Their main tools were all made of stone. The most important tool was a stone- bladed knife. Next in importance were axes for chopping and adzes for shaping wood. The people made stone tips for spears, harpoons, and arrows. These tools were the basis of economic life, and the people used them with great skill. Some groups acquired horses. Until then, their only domesticated animal had been the dog, which they used for transport and hunting.