2.4.2 Canada's First Peoples

What was the impact of imperialism on Canada?




Who were the first people?

When the first Europeans arrived in North America, it was not divided into countries as it is today. However, the people who lived on the continent were not all the same.

Several Aboriginal groups, each with its own way of life and language, occupied the land. Some were fishermen, some farmed, and others were nomadic, following the wild game that roamed freely across the country.
Blood Indian Parade, 1910 by A. Rafton Canning courtesy Library and Archives Canada

Click to play a video that explains the names for the various Aboriginal groups in Canada.

The first people of Canada were many and varied.

The map shows the distribution of the native peoples of North America. These tribes lived in various geographical areas and were culturally different because of their landscape and resources.

The tribes traded, fought, and in some cases intermarried. They were
interdependence
a system of dependent relationships people and countries have with one another

The system of interdependence has become so significant that a change in one part of the world may affect millions of people in other parts of the world positively or negatively.

Through these relationships, people and nations rely on each other for aspects of life such as

  • economic prosperity through trade
  • peace and security
  • cultural exchange
  • technological advancement
  • environmental health
interdependent in several ways.

How do we know about Canada's original inhabitants? They had no written form of language, no cameras, no museums or art galleries.

Where no written language exists, historians learn about the past in other ways.

  1. oral history
    the history and traditions of a society that have been passed  to the following generations through the spoken word from the personal memories of individuals
    Oral histories: Instead of writing their accounts of events, elders kept important beliefs and stories alive by telling them to their children. The histories of Aboriginal people were passed from generation to generation through stories.

    Generations learned the cultural knowledge and history of their ancestors through storytellers. If the story was about something of real importance to the identity of a tribe, the storyteller would repeat it as it had been passed on, word for word. Being a storyteller was important in any First Nations community. Much of what we know about the history of native tribes has been passed on through oral tradition.

  1. archaeology
    the scientific study of the material remains of the past and of the life and cultures of ancient peoples
    Archaeology: Through the study of items left behind, archaeologists can discover a great deal about the past. Burial sites, human remains, animal bones, pottery, mounds of shells, remains of fires, and the sites of buildings and villages all tell much about the people of the past.

  2. primary sources
    original records from the time historical events occurred or, in the case of memoirs or oral histories, after events occurred

    Primary sources  include letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, documents produced by government agencies, photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures or video recordings, research data, and objects or artifacts such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons. These sources serve as the raw material to interpret the past, and when they are used  with previous interpretations by historians, they provide the resources necessary for historical research.
    Primary sources: First-hand accounts written by early explorers explain a great deal about the past. Samuel de Champlain, for example, wrote detailed accounts of the native villages he encountered and the people he met. He made many sketches that tell us about the people of the St. Lawrence area.

Listen to Michael Kusugak, Inuit storyteller and children's author, talk about the importance of the oral tradition in the Inuit world by clicking the link below.

For many years, Canadian students learned about the history of Canada beginning with the arrival of the first white man to Canadian shores. This is an example of
eurocentrism
the belief that the values and experiences of European society are more important than those of other cultures

These values includes the idea that "progress" includes using the natural environment for human purposes, the development of technology, gathering of wealth, and establishing political power.
eurocentrism — looking at issues from the perspective of European history, values, and culture. Canadian history is much more than that. Canada's First Nations are a vital part of our heritage.

Listen to Allen Jacob talk about First Nations history and traditions by clicking the link below.


Defeat of the Iroquois, 1613, by Samuel De Champlain
Courtesy Library and Archives Canada
We know a little about how the Aboriginal people lived through the accounts of people such as Champlain and others who explained the effects of first contact.

This
cultural contact
the first meeting o any two cultures
cultural contact began with the trade of goods and continued with the exchange of knowledge and technology. The Aboriginal people shared their knowledge of plants and animals, and showed the first French explorers how to survive the harsh winters. In exchange, the French and later the English settlers traded weapons made of metal and other manufactured items that the Aboriginal people did not have.

What began as a more or less equal exchange of goods and services soon changed. As imperialism became a force, the French and then the British began to dominate the land, the people, and the resources of Canada.

  • Furs, fish, and timber were exported in huge quantities.

  • Land was taken from First Nations peoples by the Europeans for settlement.

  • Native people were used as warriors by the French, the English, and later the Americans.

  • Thousands died from diseases brought by the white men.

    These actions changed forever the lifestyle of the native peoples and led to the development of the multicultural society we have in Canada today.