Sid:
What is indigenous?
It means originating
or occurring naturally
in a particular place.
So, Indigenous people are--
Me!
Hi,Sid.
Hi, Ruby.
Indigenous people are the first
people to be living in a place.
Indigenous people like me,
have lived here for over
12,000 years, long before
it was even called Canada.
Around 1.4 million people
identify as indigenous
in Canada today.
Hi, Sunny.
You're indigenous?
Yep. I'm Algonquin,
First Nation.
So, which word
should I use?
Indigenous
or Algonquin First Nation?
Well, most indigenous people
would rather be called
by the title of their nation
Algonquin, Cree, Haida, Mohawk,
but if you don't know
what nation someone is,
it's better to use
the word indigenous.
Sid: Is indigenous the same as
aboriginal, native, and Indian?
Ruby: Actually,
those words aren't used
as often anymore, Sid.
In some cases those words
can even be hurtful.
In Canada there
are three different groups
of indigenous peoples.
The First Nations,
the Métis, and the Inuit.
The First Nations is the largest
and most varied group
and they are found
all over Canada.
They include my nation,
The Algonquin, First Nation,
and many others, like Cree,
Haida, Mohawk, Ojibwe,
the Métis are the descendants
of First Nations peoples
and the European settlers
who came to Canada
and they are all
across the country.
Finally, the Inuit
are the indigenous peoples
of the Arctic and they are also
found all across the country.
So, many amazing
groups of people!
That's right.
And think about this.
Each nation has
their own culture
with their own languages,
laws, and spiritual beliefs.
The First Nations alone,
include over 50
different nations
with 50 different languages.
Wow!
Respect!
And those cultures had
and continue to have
a huge influence on Canada,
giving it words, inventions,
concepts, and games that
are used by Canadians today,
including that canoe
and this kayak.
The country's name,
Canada, comes from
the St. Lawrence Iroquois
First Nations word kanata,
meaning village or settlement.
Thanks for sharing
with us, Sunny.
Happy to.
And remember,
if you know what
nation someone is,
you can use that
to describe them,
if not,
use the word indigenous.
Got it. Whoops!
[splash]
♪ ♪
