Localized regional cultures developed from the time of the The land bridge existed until 13,000–11,000 years ago, long after the oldest proven human settlements in the New World began.The vastness and variety of Canada's climates, ecology, vegetation, The placement of artifacts and materials within an Archaic burial site indicated social differentiation based upon status.The west coast of Canada by 7,000–5000 BCE (9,000–7,000 years ago) saw various cultures who organized themselves around salmon fishing.The Woodland cultural period dates from about 2,000 BCE – 1,000 CE, and has locales in Ontario, Quebec, and Maritime regions.The Hopewell tradition is an Aboriginal culture that flourished along American rivers from 300 BCE – 500 CE. The Montagnais occupied the heavily wooded area along the north shore of the St. Métis peoples are of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry, and live mostly in the Prairie provinces and Ontario, but also in other parts of the country. occupy the southeastern corner of British Columbia. Rather, look in the FamilySearch Catalog Subjects search under Indians of North America - Canada, or under the name of the tribe, such as Algonquin Indians, or Cree Indians. Indigenous visual art may be used conjunction with other arts. There were eight principal tribes of Woodland First Nations, all of whom spoke languages belonging to the Algonkian family. The term First Nations, which Elder Sol Sanderson coined, actually only came into common use in the 1980s.Although they were once referred to as Indians, some Canadians found this term offensive. There were eight principal tribes of Woodland First Nations, all of whom spoke languages belonging to the Algonkian family. The now extinct Beothuk lived South and west of them was the Thompson First Nation, who occupied the Fraser River Valley from Yale to Lillooet. the Okanagan, who lived in the Okanagan River Valley. All these tribes spoke languages belonging to the Athapaskan language family.The Chipewyan ranged from north of the Churchill River all the way west to Great Slave Lake and controlled the largest amount of territory. All of them spoke languages belonging to the Iroquoian language family. The native peoples of the Pacific coast also made totem poles, a trait attributed to other tribes a Inlet to the mouth of the Columbia River.

Today, the use of the term Indian is uncommon in Canada. For Canadian people in general, see Indigenous peoples in Canada and the U.S., % of population by areaSedentary living, reserves, and 'gradual civilization'Sedentary living, reserves, and 'gradual civilization'[Indigenous peoples in Canada: Key results from the 2016 Census](Web Version online by SIL International, formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics)[Aboriginal peoples in Canada: Key results from the 2016 Census]

They used tools made of stone and wood. Communities developed each with its own culture, customs, and character.Prominent First Nations people include Joe Capilano, who met with King of the United Kingdom, Warfare was common among Inuit groups with sufficient population density.

Indigenous Canadians (also known as Aboriginal Canadians, Native Canadians, or First Peoples) are the Indigenous peoples within the boundaries of Canada. By the mid-16th century, The Métis are people descended from marriages between Europeans (mainly French)S.35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 mentions the Métis yet there has long been debate over legally defining the term Métis,Unlike First Nations people, there has been no distinction between From the late 18th century, European Canadians (and the Canadian government) encouraged Another focus of the Canadian government was to make the Aboriginal groups of Canada The final government strategy of assimilation, made possible by the Of all the initiatives that were undertaken in the first century of Confederation, none was more ambitious or central to the civilizing strategy of the Department, to its goal of assimilation, than the residential school system… it was the residential school experience that would lead children most effectively out of their "savage" communities into "higher civilization" and "full citizenship. The Sarcee spoke an Athapaskan language. up much of what is today the Yukon interior. The others include