First Nations People In Canada

First Nations People In Canada

Photographer: Max Yeoh

Model: Pebs (has a First Nations background) is wearing our Orange Indian Headdress - 90cm

The First Nations People form together with the Inuit and Métis the aboriginal population of Canada and were there thousands of years before the European explorers arrived.

Originally also the indigenous people of Canada were called ´Indians´ which was because the Europeans believed to have landed on the Indian subcontinent when they actually discovered North America. However neither for the Native Americans nor the Canadian aborigines this term is politically correct as for most of them this term is being seen as offensive.

A Canadian survey conducted in 2011 estimated that nowadays 6.5 percent of the population in Canada claims to have aboriginal roots. Half of them still lives in out of reserves where as the other half lives in communities and reserves.

The First Nation People were very friendly with the Europeans who came in the 17th and 18th century and even had trading relations with them.  However since they were in regular contact with the Europeans they got infectious diseases such as influenza and smallpox for which they failed to have a natural immunity for. Combined with other issues resulting from the contact to the Europeans reports estimate a 40-80% aboriginal decrease post-contact.