1. First Nations of Canada

2. DEFINITIONS
Aboriginal – the descendants of the original inhabitants of Turtle Island (North America).
Umbrella term used to categorize all people of Indian, Metis and Inuit ancestry into a single entity.

3. Terminology Crown: refers to the government
Aboriginal: refers to all peoples that are considered to be the first people to inhabit the land.
First Nations: the native people of Canada to replace the word ‘Indian’.
Inuit: the native people of northern Canada
Metis: people who are half First Nations and half European (mostly French)
Band: a body of First Nations who share land.

4. Terminology …con’t
Reserve: land given to the a group of First Nations in which they can live and govern.
Off-reserve: a term used to describe people, services or objects that are not part of a reserve but relate to First Nations people.
Indian Act: a Canadian legislation first passed in 1876 but amended (changed) several times since. It sets out guidelines, laws, responsibilities, etc... Of both the government and the First Nation’s people.
Status Indian: a person who is registered as an First Nation person under the Indian Act.

5. Terminology … con’t
Non-status Indian: a First Nation person who is not registered as a First Nation person under the Indian Act.
Treaty Indian: a Status Aboriginal who belongs to a First Nations group that signed a treaty with the crown.
Treaty: an agreement signed between a specific tribe and the crown.
Tribe: a group of First Nations people who lived and worked together.
Urban Reserve: a reserve of land occupied by First Nations in a Treaty that resides in a city.

6. First Nations
First Nations – new term, referring to the ancestors of the original inhabitants who are classified by the term “Indian”

7. Poverty The roots of poverty can be traced back to:
Forced Relocation
Destruction of traditional ways of living
Many Aboriginal people died due to lack of
Shelter
Food
Health Care
Money
On average, 55.6% of Aboriginal people living in Canadian cities were poor in In cities like Regina where there is a larger Aboriginal population, Aboriginal people accounted for 24% of the poor.

8. Health Care
Upon arrival to North America, Europeans brought with them many foreign diseases
Aboriginals were frequently denied access to health care because they were seen as “Inferior”
Aboriginal medicine was seen as outdated and often totally banned.

9. Employment Barriers
While the white settler tended to view Aboriginal people as inferior and savage, the Aboriginal people increasingly viewed the White people with distrust, anger, resentment and fear.
This led to most Aboriginal People being unable to attain jobs in white society. Increased poverty and deepened the rifts of distrust.
Today, it is estimated that the unemployment rate for Aboriginal people is double that of the national average and in some areas of the province in Canada the unemployment rate is five to six times higher than non-Aboriginal people.

10. The economic disadvantage goes hand in hand with the social problems associated in the daily lives of Aboriginals. -Annual reported average income for Aborignials: $14, 000 and $ 19,000 -Average Canadian income: $27,000

11. Aboriginal Peoples in the Cities:
Paradox: Isolation of reserves are unattractive for investment and economic growth however, fosters context for aboriginality to flourish.
Push/pull factors.
Seeking power and resource control.