Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Respecting Canada's First Nations Peoples

For the past two weeks I've been writing about the land of Canada. As a "Lost Canadian" it matters to me for me to learn about this incredible country of which I am actually a citizen! Growing up in the USA, of course I learned a lot about this country, but I knew very little about Canada - even growing up in Michigan, which is very close to Canada. But now I have learned some very interesting information about the country of Canada by learning about its thirteen Provinces and Territories.

But there is much more for me to learn about Canada. So, I thought I'd look at the first peoples who lived in this land - the First Nations. I have learned . . . 

• There are over 630 recognized First Nations governments or bands in Canada, representing more than 50 distinct nations and languages. According to 2021 Census data, there are over 1 million First Nations people. 
• Highest concentrations are in British Columbia and Ontario.
• By 500 BCE–1000 CE, distinct cultures were established: Athapaskan/Tlingit (Northwest), Haida and Salish (Pacific Coast), Blackfoot and Cree (Plains), and Algonquin/Iroquois (Great Lakes).
• As in the USA, early contact in the 16th century with Europeans brought trading opportunities, but also diseases that significantly reduced Indigenous populations.
• First Nations peoples have been in North America tens of thousands of years, but there are indications that they settled and established trade routes across what is now Canada by 1000 BC.
• Indigenous peoples were essential to the early economy as trading partners, interpreters, and guides.

You will find my full post about the First Nations in Canada at this link.