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What is the difference between First Nations, Inuit and Métis?

First Nations, Inuit and Métis are the three groups of Indigenous peoples recognised in Canada's constitution. First Nations are the many original peoples south of the Arctic. Inuit are the people of the Arctic. Métis are a distinct people who trace their origins to both First Nations and European ancestors.

First Nations are the largest group. There are more than 630 First Nations communities, belonging to more than 50 nations and speaking more than 50 languages. They include the Cree, Ojibwe, Dene, Mi'kmaq, Haida and many others, and live in every province and territory.

Inuit live mainly in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland, which covers four regions across the Canadian Arctic, including the territory of Nunavut. Inuit also live in Greenland and Alaska. One person is an Inuk. The older word 'Eskimo' is considered offensive in Canada.

The Métis emerged as a people in the fur trade era, mainly from families of First Nations women and French or Scottish men. They have their own culture, history and language, Michif. Their historic heartland is the prairie region around the Red River.

In the 2021 census about 1.8 million people in Canada, 5% of the population, identified as Indigenous: about 1.05 million First Nations, about 624,000 Métis and about 70,000 Inuit. In Canada the word 'Indigenous' has largely replaced 'Aboriginal' as the collective term for all three.

Words used here

First NationsInuitMétisBandReserveNation

Sources

Related questions

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