First Nations of Canada: Demographics & Ethnicity.
As of the 2001 census, 976,305 people claimed aboriginal ancestry, out of a total Canadian population of 29,639,030. Of these, 286,080 lived on "Indian reserves" (reservation lands). The other 690,225 lived off reserve, most of them (494,095) in urban areas.
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development statistics show the Registered Indian population was 593,050 in 1995. Around 60 percent of these individuals, organized into 608 "bands," lived on reserves. Around the same percentage was concentrated in Western Canada. Ontario, however, was the province with the largest First Nation population.
The large majority of Canada's aboriginal inhabitants (704,770people) speak English as their primary language. French-speakers the largest minority, with 64,130 claiming French as their mother tongue. Those who claim an aboriginal language as their mother tongue numbered 186,835 as of the 2001 Census.
Canada has over 50 aboriginal languages. Languages with over 10,000 native speakers include Cree (72,680), Inuktitut (29,005), and Ojibway (20,890). Languages with between 2,000 and 10,000 speakers include: Montagnais-Naskapi (9,655), Micmac (7,230), Dakota/Sioux (3,880), Blackfoot (2,740), and various Salish languages (2,590). Many languages have only a few hundred speakers.
History
Canada's aboriginal population began arriving around 15,000 to 20,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Many are believed to have arrived via Beringia, the ancient land-bridge connecting Asia and Alaska. (The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, in Whitehorse, Yukon, is devoted to the study of this field.)
In the centuries after Columbus arrived in the New World, the First Nations of Canada found themselves caught up in European power politics. Some sided with the British, while others allied with the French. The advantages ran both ways -- by allying themselves with the various European powers, the First Nations improved their chances in tribal wars, and also acquired new sources of trade. This era culminated in the mid-eighteenth century, with the French and Indian War (known in Europe as the Seven Years War), in which Britain achieved control of almost all French lands in North America.
After the war's end, King George III issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763. This established the boundaries of white settlement in British North America, and acknowledged the need to consult with the First Nations on any land negotiations affecting them. The proclamation's prohibition on white settlement across the Allegheny Mountains improved British relations with its tribal allies, but also added to the colonial grievances which produced the American Revolution.
During the nineteenth century, the British signed a number of treaties and land-deals with the First Nations. The interpretation of these arrangements remains a sore point in Canadian politics today. In part, the trouble lies in differing conceptions of property ownership. Many First Nations hold that no one can own the land, or that the land belongs to the entire tribe or group. European concepts, on the other hand, emphasize the actual ownership of land and its resources. During this period, the First Nations were increasingly forced onto reservations.
The North West Mounted Police (later the Royal Canadian Mounted Police), or "Mounties," served as a buffer between aboriginal inhabitants and the flood of white settlers, helping to explain Canada's laws and ensuring that whites would not take complete advantage of the First Nations. Despite this, the First Nations became increasingly impoverished, as their lands were taken from them.
In 1870, the Métis under Louis Riel attempted to establish an independent nation at Red River, in what is now the province of Manitoba. But Riel's often high-handed ways, including the execution of white settler Thomas Scott, led to government efforts to seize him. Riel was forced into exile, but returned in 1885 to lead the North-West Rebellion. Despite several victories, the Métis were ultimately defeated by government forces.
Conditions among the First Nations began to improve in the early twentieth century, thanks in large part to the aboriginal people's improved organization. Despite legal restrictions on Indian political activity, they established national advocacy organizations, such as the League of Indians of Canada, as well as provincial associations such as the Indian Association of Alberta and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians. The Assembly of First Nations was established in 1980, acting as a "confederacy" for member peoples.
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By Eric Badertscher
Source: Canada's Heritage: First Nations of Canada, 2006, p2, 1p