Indigenous peoples and communities

‘Indigenous peoples' is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. Often, ‘Aboriginal peoples' is also used.

The Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal peoples: Indians (more commonly referred to as First Nations), Inuit and Métis. These are three distinct peoples with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

More than 1.4 million people in Canada identify themselves as an Aboriginal person, according to the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS). Aboriginal peoples are:

• the fastest growing population in Canada – grew by 20% between 2006 and 2011 compared to 5% for non-Aboriginal people
• the youngest population in Canada – almost half (46%) are under the age of 25
• increasingly urban – more than half (56%) live in urban areas

Learn more about:

• First Nations people and communities
• Inuit and Inuit communities
• Métis people and communities
• Urban Indigenous peoples

Find Indigenous communities in Canada by using these maps.

Date modified:

2016-12-22