Title: Canadian First Peoples
Course: REL 201 RTZ > Section: Week 3 - Native American Religions

There are over 600 Native American Nations within thirteen provinces.  The First Nations of Canada has struggled on par with all First Peoples across the world.  There has been suppression of their religion and cultures, ethnocide, unethical treatments and medical testing, laws of discrimination and few human rights.

The First People of Canada most likely entered Canada over 12,000 years ago.  Where did these people originate from?  Who are they related to?  These questions have not been fully answered even though they are being fully investigated by researches.  There are many theories on the migration of early humans.  The most common theory is the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska.  Another thought is the First Peoples used boats to travel along the land edges and made their way into the Americas.  I hold to the theory that the First Peoples entered the America’s from many locations via many different methods.

Through scientific research and DNA testing we have a lot to learn about the origins and beginnings of humans.  What is important is that these cultures arrived into Canada and set up home in various regions and were left mostly untouched by Europeans until fairly recently in terms of the span of human existence.

Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedom classifies the First Peoples into three very broad and general terms:  Indians, Inuit and Metis. Many Canadian leaders, even the Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau have been interested in removing the Indian Act. These people are interested in the protecting of the Indian Act that defines the basic rights and tenants of First People rights in Canada.

Each of these cultures is unique in thought, language and religion.  To keep our studies manageable we will look at only the Inuit for Canadian First People Religions.