First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples

Discover Canada names three founding peoples of Canada: Aboriginal, French and British. Its account of the first of them is short, but the test draws on it regularly, and the Oath of Citizenship now names these peoples directly. This follows the guide's chapter on who Canadians are, checked on 23 September 2026.

A note on words

The guide uses the term Aboriginal peoples. You will also see Indigenous peoples, which is the term in common use today. Both refer to the same three distinct groups. The test follows the guide's wording, so it is worth recognizing both.

Who they are

The guide says the ancestors of Aboriginal peoples are believed to have migrated from Asia many thousands of years ago, and were well established here long before explorers from Europe first came to North America. First Nations cultures were rooted in religious beliefs about their relationship to the Creator, the natural environment and each other.

The three groups

• First Nations. The guide explains that "Indian" refers to all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Métis, and that 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 cities.
• Inuit. The word means "the people" in the Inuktitut language. Inuit live in small, scattered communities across the Arctic, and their knowledge of the land, sea and wildlife allowed them to adapt to one of the harshest environments on earth.
• Métis. A distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry, the majority living in the Prairie provinces. They come from both French- and English-speaking backgrounds and speak their own dialect, Michif.

Rights in the Constitution

Aboriginal and treaty rights are in the Canadian Constitution. Territorial rights were first guaranteed through the Royal Proclamation of 1763 by King George III, which established the basis for negotiating treaties. The guide adds that those treaties were not always fully respected. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that the rights it guarantees do not adversely affect treaty or other rights of Aboriginal peoples.

The Oath of Citizenship now includes a commitment to a Constitution that recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Residential schools

From the 1800s until the 1980s, the federal government placed many Aboriginal children in residential schools to educate and assimilate them into mainstream Canadian culture. The guide says the schools were poorly funded and inflicted hardship, that some students were physically abused, and that Aboriginal languages and cultural practices were mostly prohibited. In 2008, Ottawa formally apologized to the former students.

Today

The guide describes renewed pride and confidence, and significant achievements in agriculture, the environment, business and the arts. It also notes that First Nations have band chiefs and councillors with major responsibilities on reserves.

For the test

Know the three groups, what Inuit means, that the Métis speak Michif, the Royal Proclamation of 1763, and the 2008 apology. Our study notes on who we are and the practice questions cover the chapter.