Educating Our Educators Guide for Staff - Algoma District School ...

First NationsFirst Nations is a term of ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit norMétis. There are currently over 630 recognized First Nations governments or bands spread acrossCanada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The total population isnearly 700,000 people. Under the Employment Equity Act, First Nations are a "designated group", along withwomen, visible minorities, and persons with physical or mental disabilities. They are not defined as a visibleminority under the Act or by the criteria of Statistics Canada.The term First Nations (most often used in the plural) has come into general use for the indigenous peoplesof the Americas located in what is now Canada, except for the Arctic-situated Inuit, and peoples of mixedEuropean-First Nations ancestry called Métis. The singular, commonly used on culturally politicizedreserves, is the term First Nations person (when gender-specific, First Nations man or First Nations woman).A more recent trend is for members of various nations to refer to themselves by their tribal or nationalidentity only, e.g., "I'm Haida," or "We're Kwantlens," in recognition of the distinctiveness of First Nationsethnicities.North American indigenous peoples have cultures spanning thousands of years. Some of their oral traditionsaccurately describe historical events, such as the Cascadia Earthquake of 1700. Written records began withthe arrival of European explorers and colonists during the Age of Discovery, beginning in the late 15thcentury. European accounts by trappers, traders, explorers, and missionaries give important evidence ofearly contact culture. In addition, archeological and anthropological research, as well as linguistics, havehelped scholars piece together understanding of ancient cultures and historic peoples.Although not without conflict or slavery, Euro-Canadians' early interactions with First Nations and Inuitpopulations were relatively non-combative compared to the often violent battles between colonists andnative peoples in the United States. Combined with later economic development, this relatively noncombativehistory has allowed First Nations peoples to have a strong influence on the national culture, whilepreserving their own identities.Educating Our Educators – Educating Our Aboriginal StudentsRevised March 201126