Question

Who are the people indigenous to Canada?

Answer 1

First Nations people in Canada are those that were those people who had ancestors that predated Columbus (or John Cabot) in Canada.

Explanation:

This is a large and varied group of people not necessarily recognized as First Nations by First Nations groups. Metis, a mixed blood group, members must show detailed birth and heritage records to allow to be considered to be Metis.

There are 6 geographic areas associated with First Nations groups: Arctic, Subarctic, Northwest Coast, Plains, Plateau, Eastern Woodlands. There is some variation in this classification.

There has been some movement between geographic areas.
The Cree were an Eastern Woodland group from Northern Ontario but rode the wave of the fur trade and now extend across the Northern Plains. Iroquois groups do not fit well into the rest of the Eastern Woodland group and have many connections further south.

Modern political borders do not divide tribal connections well. Generalizations about beliefs and tribal political structures are not useful.

Many Reservations were created by Treaty negotiations by the Canadian federal government but it was a voluntary process and not all First Nations groups are under treaty. The Canadian government has viewed negotiations with First Nation peoples as an assimilation process.