First People of Canada By: Sonia Kak
Canada’s history is a long adventurous story of the first people who arrived in this continent. The First Nations are thought to have come from Asia thousands of years ago, when a wide bridge of land linked Siberia and North America. It is believed that they came to North America while looking for the animals they hunted.
These early people needed a lot of courage and life skills to survive in the ice covered continent. The northern part was covered with ice and snow in summers as well as in winters.
People who lived in the same environment developed the same type of culture, based on the land, vegetation, and animals that provided their food and clothing. There were seven major cultural areas: Arctic, Subarctic, Eastern Woodlands (Hunters), Eastern Woodlands (Farmers), Plains, Plateau, North-West Coast.
Inuit of the Arctic Living and staying alive in the arctic took a lot of bravery and great skill. The Arctic climate was harsh and bitterly cold especially during winters. Families lived in snow houses (Igloos) during winters. The igloos were made from hard packed snow. The seal-oil lamps kept the Igloos snug and warm. All of the children and adults had to know how to build an igloo.
In the summer the Inuit build tents made of seal skin or caribou skin with sinew as the outline. Sinew was a very strong string that held things together such as a tent. Seals and caribou provided almost everything that the Inuit needed, including food, clothing and a wide range of tools. Even their kayaks- the slender hunting boats – were made mainly of seal-skin.
Hunters of the Subarctic The people of Subarctic region were hunters. They hunted caribou and other animals. Since the animals and plants were scarce in this region, most families had to keep moving in search of food.
Hunters of the Eastern Woodlands The Hunters of the Eastern Woodlands lived in the forests that stretched from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic ocean. They hunted in small groups and travelled by Birch Bark canoe or Toboggan. Food was much easier to find here and some families lived in villages for some part of the year.
A Village of the hunters of Eastern Woodlands
Lacrosse was invented by the people of Eastern Woodlands Lacrosse was invented by the people of Eastern Woodlands. It was called Baggataway.
The people of the eastern woodlands kept a record of important events by weaving patterns on belts of coloured shells. These belts were called wampum.
People of the Northwest Coast The Pacific Coast had a milder climate. People had plenty of food including berries and other animals like deer and salmon. They lived in villages made of wooden houses from the cedar trees. People designed crests which had special meanings called Totem poles. Read more about totem poles at http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/content_files/files/totempoles.pdf and in book ‘Talking Totem Poles by Glenn Holder
People of the Plains and Plateau These people were hunters. They hunted for buffalos which were the main source of food. Tepees – the cone shapes tents were made with animal skin, mainly the buffalos and wooden poles. Tepees were durable and provided warmth and comfort in winter. It was dry during heavy rains, as well as cool in the summers. They could be disassembled and assembled easily and was ideal as people kept moving and settling in new areas.
Continue to discuss the Vikings and Early European settlers of Canada.....
References: http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/migrations/one2.html http://projects.cbe.ab.ca/ict/2learn/jwfech/linksfirstnations/clarke/inuithomes.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipi Influenced by The Kids Book Of Canadian History by Carlotta Hacker Pictures from Google Images and Google Clipart