First Nations make the largest Aboriginal group in Canada consisting of around 700,000 people, of the one million Canadian Aboriginal population. The title ‘First Nations’ refers to the first people who lived in Canada and their lineage, who are neither Métis nor Inuit. The word First Nations was adopted to replace terms like Indian, Tribe, Native, Band that are still used commonly by some people. Elder Sol Sanderson claims that the term was coined by him in the 1980s.
The First Nation communities and people mostly describe themselves by the name of their Nation like Ojibwa, Haida, Dene, etc. Currently there are about 630 First Nations bands (or governments), spread over Canada in which British Columbia and Ontario hold nearly half of these bands. A band, which typically (but not always) consists of a single community, holds the reserves that is used in the interest and for the benefit of the band and its people.
The First Nations settled in present day Canada by 500 BCE - 1000 CE. As the settlements increased, different tribes started to develop with their own culture, traditions and customs and spread across the country. The First Nations are supposed to have come in contact with the Europeans way back in 1000AD. But the real contact came in the 17th and 18th century when the Europeans established their permanent settlements. The First Nations traded with the Europeans and mostly had a peaceful relation with them. In the late 18th and 19th century, the Métis came into existence after the First Nations married the European settlers.
The First Nations have also been creating art since thousands of years and have a rich tradition of music and dance. They have preserved their traditions and today also celebrate their festivals with music and dance like the pow-wows.
The population of First Nation has increased tremendously in the 20th century, almost tenfold. Also, currently half of the population is under 25 years, so the First Nations population is predicted to increase more in the coming years. They have also started working in a variety of occupations and are developing according to the need of time. But their long history and culture still has a strong influence on them.
