1. Aboriginal Peoples Of Canada

2. The Importance of Words  The word “Aboriginal” includes all First Nation, Metis and Inuit people, according to the Constitution Act of 1982.  You may have heard other names, including “Indian”, “Native”, and “Indigenous”, but these have different meanings to different people.  To some, these words do not properly represent the huge variety of cultures found in Canada’s aboriginal community.

3. Aboriginal People  They lived in groups called tribes, with many different ways of life and traditions.  A tribe was usually subdivided into bands or villages of a few families.  As time passed the tribal community began to develop a national identity. The different groups of Aboriginal peoples are now called nations.

4.  Some were nomadic, which means they moved from place to place while hunting and gathering food.  Others were farmers who settled down in a particular area.  weather and the type of land shaped their traditions and culture. Aboriginal People

5.  There are 52 aboriginal languages spoken in Canada!  The different tribes across Canada can be grouped together into 11 “language families” based on how their languages are related.  Some examples of language families include Athapaskan, Algonquian and Iroquoian.  Video = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULyRPpYHxdo& feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULyRPpYHxdo& feature=related

6. Eastern Woodlands

7. Two main groups: the Iroquois, who were farmers the Algonquians, who were hunters.

8. The Algonquian  Hunted game like bear, moose, caribou, fish and even seals and whales on the coast.  They also gathered food that grew wild, like wild rice and berries.  Were semi nomadic meaning they moved to specific locations based on the time of the year.  They usually built smaller homes that could be taken down easily, like tipis and wigwams.

9. The Mi’kmaq Nation  Maritime Provinces  Algonquian  The were also semi nomadic  In the spring, summer and fall, they lived near the seashore (salmon, eel, lobster, clams, seals)  In the winter, they moved closer inland to hunt larger animals (moose, caribou, bear…)

10. Shelter 1.Homes are called wigwams 2.Usually put together by women. 3.Made using poles tied together. 4.Birchbark was used for the covering. 5.There was a hole in the top for smoke to escape. 6.Floor was made of animal fur. 7.The door was also animal hide.

11. Mi’kmaq nation - Glooscap, the first human, was created out of a bolt of lightening in the sand - He appears in many of the Mi’kmaq legends. - These legends were passed down from generation to generation and tell of the Mi’kmawq culture. (oral tradition)

12. The Mi’kmaq Nation: Government  Basic unit in Mi’kmaw society was the extended family (30-200 people), which was led by a chief or sagamore (elected ruler among First Nations of Eastern Canada)  2 fundamental principles:  Respect for the rights of the people  Respect and preservation of the environment

13. The Mi’kmaq Nation: Government  System of self-government  Leaders were appointed by the people  Elders opinions were important  Disputes were settled through mediation  Contact and trade with Europeans eventually led to the expansion of their political structure.  Mi’kmaw territory was divided into 7 geographical districts.

14. Local Council Chief District Council Chief Grand Council Chief Powers Duties Geographic Constituency Leadership Characteristics The Mi’kmaq Nation: 3 levels of Government

15. Local Council Chief  Presides over the Council of Elders  Council of Elders was usually made up of the heads of families or representatives Responsibilities consisted of:  Making decisions within local areas  Take care of supplies, dogs, canoes, hunting, emergencies (providing for villages)  Were teachers and role models for the young  Training hunters

16. Local Council Chief cont’d  The Local Chief was always male and came from a prominent family  They were of good character and they were very good hunters

17. District Council Chief  Total of 7, 1 for each of the 7 Mi’Kmaq districts  Presides over council of local chiefs  Responsible for several villages/communities within his district  Met during spring, summer or fall to settle problems such as peace and war  Act as arbitrator - would listen to both parties and settle dispute

18. District Council Chief The responsibilities of the Chief included:  Attending Local Council meetings  Take care of problems among districts, villages, nations  District Chief was eldest male of large powerful family  Good hunters

19. Grand Council Chief  Grand Chief is most important  When he speaks, everyone listens.  Presides over Grand Council Responsibilities included:  Defending territory  Taking care of any orphaned children  Help with providing food and supplies

20. Grand Council Chief   The Grand chief had to have an exceptional character  Was an excellent hunter 2 ways to become a Grand Chief:  Hereditary (unless the father did not feel they were worthy of the position)  Survive in woods for several days without food or water. Must make a camp for 2 people and wait to see if another person arrives. If this occurs, he is capable of being Grand Chief

21. The Iroquois  Southern Ontario  The Iroquois lived south of Lake Ontario.  The name Canada comes from the Huron-Iroquois word Kanata, which means village or community.  Video = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1jG58nghRo& feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1jG58nghRo& feature=related  Every Iroquois belonged to a clan, named after an animal; for example, Bear, Turtle, Wolf.  was matrilineal - the individual families descended from the oldest living woman)

22. The Iroquois  The Iroquois grew corn, tobacco, squash and beans.  Traded their surplus with tribes further north for animal pelts and porcupine quills.  Corn, beans and squash were called the Three Sisters, as they were grown together  They lived in towns of up to 2500 people and shared large “longhouses” made from elm or cedar trees.

23. Longhouses

24. The Iroquois Confederacy  Founded by Dekanahwideh, who convinced the 5 nations to stop the war amongst one another.  Their motto was “one heart, one mind, one law.”  The Confederacy originally consisted of 5 nations: the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca.  They were later joined by the Tuscaroras and the Confederacy became known as the Six Nations.  Known today as the Haudenosaunee

25. The Iroquois Confederacy Government  Men became chiefs, but were chosen by the Clan Mother (oldest woman, who had the power to remove a chief and appoint another.  Village Council: Looked after village matters. Council members were all men, headed by the village chief. All village council members represented various clans in a village and were appointed by their clan matrons.  Council of a Nation: Dealt with affairs of the nation. Members were head chiefs from all the villages in a nation.  Confederacy or Grand Council: Looked after issues affecting all the nations in the confederacy. Members were a delegation of chiefs from each of the nations (50 chiefs in all). All were men, but were chosen by women. All members were equal – there was no council chief. They practiced a form of representative democracy in which votes were given to delegates from all Nations in annual meetings. Decisions required a consensus.

26. The Hurons  Lived north of Lake Ontario  They were successful traders who wanted to build a monopoly and discouraged other nations from trading with one another.  They used birch bark canoes to transport the produce from farms.  They were rivals with Iroquois confederacy and both groups often raided the other.

27. Shelter  The Iroquoians were farmers who did not need to move around so their houses could be much larger and sturdier. They built elm or cedar-bark “longhouses” which were big enough for several families to live in together.

28. Plains Tribes

29.  Blackfoot, the Plains Cree and the Sioux  The culture of these peoples had everything to do with the bison. They were used for food, tipis, clothing, containers and tools. Their traditions were also closely tied to these animals and to their natural surroundings.  Later on, horses became very important to their culture when Europeans brought them to Canada. Before horses, they walked on foot or used dogs to pull their packs.

30. Plains Tribes and the Travois  The travois was made from 2 long poles lashed together and contained netting to carry goods.  The Plains people developed it to easily transport children and belongings.

31. The Blackfoot  Alberta  religious beliefs were =medicine bundle and the Sun Dance

32. The Blackfoot The Medicine Bundle Protection against harm A rawhide bag that contained medicine pipe, feathers from an eagle or owl, sweet grass, chokecherry wood, pieces of tobacco, stones etc… They were passed on to members of the nation during a ceremony or a young Blackfoot could go into the wilderness for days without food or sleep. He would pray to the spirits for advice. Eventually he would fall asleep and dream of the items that had special powers to him. He would then go and collect those items.

33. The Blackfoot The Sun Dance Held in early summer People who suffered from bad luck during the past year, or hoped for special help in the year ahead, took part. Young men who took part stayed in a tipi together for several days. They fasted and were prepared by the shaman (medicine man). The shaman would make pairs of cuts in each person’s chest or back. Under the skin he looped leather strips, which were connected to the center pole. Each person then danced, gazing into the sun and seeking power there. He pulled on the ropes, until the flesh gave away and he was free. The scars that formed after a few weeks were looked upon as a badge of courage.

34. Shelter - most tribes moved around a lot to hunt buffalo and gather plants for food. - The tipi, was built with long poles that were tied together at the top and covered by buffalo hides.

35. Plateau Tribes

36.  Interior Salish, Kootenay, and Athapaskan  The tribes of the Plateau in British Columbia depended on two very important rivers, the Fraser and the Thomson, to support their life. These rivers were full of prized salmon which they ate and traded, as well as trout and whitefish.  Deer, caribou, elk, and mountain sheep living nearby were important for food too. The tribes also used the rivers for traveling by canoe and for transporting goods to trade with other groups.  Since there were many trees on the land around the rivers, many tribes made log huts covered with bark for shelter.

37. Shelter  Many of the Plateau tribes lived in log huts covered with bark or grass.  In the winter, some lived in “pit houses.” These houses were holes dug into the ground, with a cone-shaped roof held up by wooden poles, and covered with branches and dirt. They used a ladder to enter and leave through an opening at the top.

38. Northwest Coast

39.  Haida, Tlingit  Known as the salmon people  Variety of food availible = bear, ducks, seals and fish, fruits and edible plants.  Their way of life revolved around their natural surroundings; the towering cedar trees were used to make boats, totem poles, houses, fish nets, baskets and clothing, which meant that most tribes were skilled at carpentry, spinning and weaving.  Were semi nomadic based on cyclical food seasons – ie salmon run

40. Northwest Coast The Totem Pole Examples of artwork Each part of the pole reveals something about an important person, spirit or event in a family’s past history. They were carved out of cedar trees with stones Video = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=648gwEl cPzU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=648gwEl cPzU&feature=related

41. Northwest Coast  The community was divided into two groups – nobles and commoners.  A person was born into one group or the other.  The nobles had more rights; for example, they had the right to fish in the best locations.  Within each group, the members were ranked in order of importance.  The ranking nobleman was the chief

42. Northwest Coast: The Potlatch  The word potlatch means giving  Property was shared among the members of the community and was a means of dealing with economic inequalities within a village  It is a ceremony given by a family for another family/families  The host gave presents to each of the guests.  The most valuable gift went to the highest-ranking guest and so on down the line.  The guest receiving the gifts were like witnesses to a contract confirming the host host’s step up the ladder of success.  It was usually held to mark a major event, such as a marriage, a birth or the naming of a new chief.

43. Modern Day Potlatch

44. Subarctic

45.  Gwich’in (Yukon), the Dene in the northwest, Cree and Ojibwa (ON and MB)  This native region covers a huge area  Even though there were a wide variety of tribes in this region, there weren’t that many people altogether living there.  weather is extreme and harsh  many of the larger animals would migrate south during the winter.

46. Subarctic  Many bands followed the herds wherever they went  Different bands worked together to do certain tasks, like trapping, gathering berries and fishing. They would also trade food and medicine.

47. Arctic

48. The Arctic Inuit  Is quite different from other groups, when you consider the cold, harsh environment of the Arctic.  There are no trees, lots of deep snow and thick ice, and unique animals, such as seals, walrus, whales and caribou  The Inuit people developed a very unique way of life. They created different kinds of hunting gear, like harpoons; they had dog sleds and kayaks to get around; and built temporary igloos for shelter when on hunting expeditions.

49. Inuit Technology  Sunglasses: Made of ivory or wood, these goggles would have thin slits through which a person could look without being blinded by sun reflecting off the snow  Cheap Energy: They made lamps of stone or whalebone, with moss for a wick and seal blubber for fuel  Transportation: Dog sleds, kayaks  Harpoons: the head was made from stone and was attached with walrus-hide line to a shaft of walrus tusk

50. Shelter While hunting out on the sea ice, they would build igloos only as a temporary shelter from the wind and cold. Other winter houses were built with stones and covered with sod. The coastal Inuit sometimes built larger homes that were partly dug into the ground and covered by seal skin or sod roofs. To make summer homes, animal hides were sewn together and held up with sticks or whale ribs.

51. Aboriginal Clothing

52. Medicine Over 500 drugs in use day originated in Aboriginal societies. For example, they used a drink made from cedar bark and needles to cure scurvy. (vitamin C) James Lind took this information and used lime juice, which led to the discovery of vitamins. They also used willow and poplar bark for aches and pains, which is now in aspirin. Picture is a Blackfoot Shaman

53. Trade Economies  Trade was based partly on the need for goods found in other areas and partly on establishing and maintaining friendly relations with neighbouring peoples.  The exchange of gifts and kindness reinforced alliances and brought prestige to the giver.

54. Wampum  The most frequently traded items were arrowheads, tools, and shells.  Aboriginal peoples traded shell beads known as wampum.  Wampum was threaded on a string or woven into belts.

55. Wampum  Wampum were threaded onto a string or woven into belts. The patterns represented events or alliances.  Many Aboriginal people in the northeastern part of North America used the wampum as a way of recording and sending messages.

56. World View and Economic Structures  Aboriginal Peoples spiritual philosophy reflects a close relationship between their economies and the natural world.  Aboriginal peoples believed that nature was a continuous web in which humans were equal, but not superior, to the land, plants, animals, and water.  Most Aboriginal societies practised a lifestyle of sustainable development in which they took from the environment only what they needed in order to survive.  This philosophy enabled them to use their resources efficiently and with little waste.

57. Property Ownership  Aboriginal people did not belief that they owned the land, but rather were entrusted to preserve the land for future generations.  When the Europeans arrived, they considered North America as new lands and claimed them as their own territories and the resources located on them.  As Europeans expanded, the Aboriginal nations began to claim title (a legitimate claim to land)to the lands they traditionally occupied.  Violence and wars often broke out between Aboriginals and Europeans, which led to treaties.

58. Mi’kmaq Treaties  In the 1700s, the Mi’kmaq signed a series of treaties with the British.  In exchange for their loyalty to the crown, the Mi’kmaq would continue to have hunting and fishing rights in their territory.  1763, British government stated that no European settlement would be allowed west of the Appalachian Mountains because the lands were reserved for the Mi’kmaq.  Nova Scotia did not honour this and sold off much of the land.  The Mi’kmaq petitioned for more land, but colonial squatters took much of it.  In the 20 th century, the Mi’kmaq had strict limitations placed on their hunting and fishing rights.  In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that the Mi’kmaq had the right to catch enough fish to earn a moderate livelihood