Indigenous Peoples of Canada — First Nations, Métis, and Inuit

# Indigenous Peoples of Canada — First Nations, Métis, and Inuit

The Canadian citizenship test expects you to be able to identify and distinguish the three Indigenous peoples of Canada. This guide explains who they are, where they live, and what you should know for test day.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 recognises three distinct Indigenous peoples in Canada:

1. First Nations (the term used in the Constitution is "Indians" but Discover Canada and modern usage prefer "First Nations")
2. Métis
3. Inuit

Together they make up about 5% of Canada's population — roughly 1.8 million people. Their rights are constitutionally protected.

First Nations are the largest Indigenous group in Canada — over 1.0 million people. They include more than 50 distinct nations speaking over 50 languages, organised into more than 600 band communities ("First Nations" or "bands" under the Indian Act).

Major First Nations groups include:

• Cree — Prairies and northern Quebec/Ontario
• Ojibway/Anishinaabe — Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec
• Mi'kmaq — Atlantic provinces and Quebec
• Mohawk and Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy — Ontario and Quebec
• Haida — Haida Gwaii, BC
• Salish — BC coast and interior
• Innu — Labrador and Quebec
• Dene — NWT and Yukon

Most First Nations live south of the 60th parallel, in every province. Each nation has its own language, culture, history, and traditions. Many have signed treaties with the Crown that govern land rights and government relations.

The Métis are a distinct Indigenous people whose origins are in the 18th-century intermarriage between European fur traders (largely French Canadians and Scots) and First Nations women, primarily Cree and Ojibway. Over generations, the Métis developed a distinct identity, culture, and political organisation.

Key features of Métis identity:

• The Michif language — a unique blend of French and Cree (and some Ojibway)
• A traditional Métis flag — a white infinity symbol on a blue or red background
• A historical homeland in the Red River Settlement (modern Manitoba) and broader Prairies
• Roman Catholic religious tradition (mostly)

Louis Riel is the most famous Métis figure — a political leader and Father of Manitoba who led the Red River Rebellion (1869–70) and the Northwest Rebellion (1885). He was executed by the Canadian government in 1885. See [Who Was Louis Riel?](/blog/louis-riel-canada-citizenship-test).

There are roughly 600,000 Métis in Canada today, primarily in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC, and Ontario.

The Inuit are the Indigenous people of the Canadian Arctic. The word *Inuit* means "the people" in Inuktitut. They live primarily in four regions collectively called Inuit Nunangat ("Inuit homeland"):

• Nunavut — entire territory, since 1999 (about 30,000 Inuit)
• Nunavik — northern Quebec
• Nunatsiavut — northern Labrador
• Inuvialuit Settlement Region — northwestern NWT

There are about 65,000 Inuit in Canada.

Cultural features:

• Inuktitut is the major Inuit language, with official status in Nunavut alongside English and French. Inuvialuktun is the dialect in the western Arctic.
• Traditional skills include hunting (caribou, seal, narwhal, walrus), igloo construction (for traveling), and dog-sledding.
• The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is the national Inuit organisation.
• Modern Inuit governance includes regional Inuit organisations (e.g., Nunavut Tunngavik) and the territorial government of Nunavut, which is largely Inuit-elected.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 says:

This is one of the most important constitutional sections for Indigenous peoples. It:

• Protects existing Aboriginal rights (e.g., to hunt, fish, gather, govern themselves on traditional lands)
• Protects existing treaty rights
• Cannot be overridden by the notwithstanding clause (Section 33)
• Has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to require duty to consult Indigenous peoples on resource development affecting their rights

Several major events shape today's relationship:

• 2008 — Federal apology for the residential school system
• 2009–2015 — Truth and Reconciliation Commission documents residential school harms and issues 94 Calls to Action
• 2016 — Canada formally adopts the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) without qualification
• 2021 — Discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools renews national reflection
• Ongoing — Modern treaty negotiations, land claims, and self-government agreements

For more on residential schools, see [Residential Schools in Canada — What the Citizenship Test Covers](/blog/residential-schools-canada-what-to-know).

Common test questions:

• "Who are the three Indigenous peoples of Canada?" → First Nations, Métis, Inuit
• "Where do most Inuit live?" → The Arctic / Nunavut
• "Who were the Métis?" → People of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry
• "What did the Truth and Reconciliation Commission do?" → Documented harms of residential schools

Indigenous-peoples questions show up regularly. Drill them on our [free Canadian citizenship practice test](/practice-test). For Riel specifically, see [Who Was Louis Riel?](/blog/louis-riel-canada-citizenship-test).