When did the term “First Nations” begin to be used?
- At Confederation in 1867
- In 1999
- In the 1920s
- In the 1970s
Answer: In the 1970s
Discover Canada says the term First Nations began to be used in the 1970s. The guide uses “Indian” for all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Métis. Today about half of First Nations people live on reserve land in about 600 communities; the other half live off-reserve, mainly in cities.
Learn more: First Nations, Inuit and Métis
- The three distinct groups are First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
- “Indian” refers to all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Métis. The term First Nations began to be used in the 1970s.
- About half of First Nations people live on reserve land in about 600 communities; the other half live off-reserve, mainly in urban centres.
- “Inuit” means “the people” in the Inuktitut language.
- Inuit live in small, scattered communities across the Arctic. Their knowledge of the land, sea and wildlife helped them adapt to one of the harshest environments on earth.
- In Nunavut, about 85% of the population is Inuit.
- The Métis are a distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry. Most live in the Prairie provinces.
- The Métis come from French- and English-speaking backgrounds and speak their own dialect, Michif.
- In the 2021 Census, about 58% of Aboriginal people were First Nations, 34.5% Métis and 3.9% Inuit.