First Nations are the diverse Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There is no single First Nations culture, language, history, or form of government. Each Nation has its own name, community history, traditions, relationships to the land, and contemporary priorities.
This page is a starting point for learning about First Nations in Canada. Use it to explore First Nations communities, cultures and traditions, languages, treaties, and history. For individual community profiles and articles, visit the growing First Nations A–Z guide.
Who Are First Nations?
“First Nations” is a widely used collective term for many Indigenous peoples in Canada. It does not include Inuit or Métis peoples, who have distinct identities, histories, cultures, and rights. When writing about a specific community, it is best to use that Nation’s own preferred name whenever possible.
First Nations peoples live throughout Canada—in cities, towns, rural areas, and home communities. Some people live on reserve, while many live away from a reserve. Community membership, identity, family connections, and legal status are not all the same thing.
Older government and legal documents may use terms such as “Indian,” “band,” “Status Indian,” or “Registered Indian.” These terms can have specific meanings under Canadian law, particularly the Indian Act, but they should not be treated as interchangeable with the identities and names that people and Nations use for themselves.
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
Canada recognizes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis as distinct Indigenous peoples. They share a history shaped by colonization, displacement, residential schools, and continuing efforts to protect language, culture, land, and self-determination. But each has separate histories and should be discussed accurately rather than grouped together as though they are the same.
- First Nations are the many Indigenous Nations across Canada who are not Inuit or Métis.
- Inuit are Indigenous peoples whose homelands are in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland in Canada’s Arctic regions.
- Métis are a distinct Indigenous people with their own communities, kinship networks, histories, and political traditions.
These terms are useful broad descriptions, but they never replace the importance of a person’s specific Nation, community, or family identity.
Explore First Nations in Canada
The First Nations of Canada include hundreds of communities. Their traditional territories extend across every province and territory, from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast and north into the subarctic regions. Communities have developed distinct ways of life shaped by geography, trade, governance, language, and long-standing relationships with neighbouring Nations.
Explore the site through these sections:
- First Nations A–Z — individual Nation and community profiles, organized for easy browsing.
- First Nations by Province and Territory — communities and related information organized by location.
- First Nations Languages — language families, revitalization, and the importance of Indigenous language knowledge.
- First Nations Cultures and Traditions — respectful background information on cultural practices, arts, foodways, and community life.
- First Nations History — historical topics, including the effects of colonial policy, residential schools, and the continuing work of reconciliation.
- First Nations Treaties — treaty relationships, treaty history, and why treaties remain important today.
First Nations Communities A–Z
The First Nations A–Z section is the main directory for individual community articles on this site. It is being expanded over time and will include background on Nations and communities, their locations, histories, names, and related resources.
Many Nations have more than one name or spelling in historical records. Some articles may also use older names when necessary to help readers locate archival material, but the preferred current community name should be used first whenever it is known.
Learning Respectfully
First Nations cultures are living cultures, not relics of the past. Information found online can be incomplete, outdated, or written from an outside perspective. Whenever possible, readers should look for materials created by the Nation, community, language speakers, artists, historians, or organizations being discussed.
Not every tradition, ceremony, song, design, or teaching is intended for public sharing. A respectful approach means avoiding assumptions, using accurate names, and recognizing that communities have the right to speak for themselves.
Continue Exploring
Begin with the First Nations A–Z guide, or explore Inuit, Métis, treaties, languages, and resources for further learning.