How many First Nations currently exist?
American Indian Wars
The 2010 United States Census found 2,932,248 Americans who identified themselves as being American Indian or Alaskan Native, about 0.9% of the US population. The Canada 2011 Census found 1,836,035 Canadians who identified themselves as being First Nations (or Inuit or Métis), about 4.3% of the Canadian population. No consensus exists on how many people lived in the Americas before the arrival of Europeans, but extensive research continues to be conducted. Contemporary estimates range from 2.1 million to 18 million people living on the North American continent prior to European colonization, but the US Census Bureau stated in 1894 that North America was an almost empty continent in 1492 and that Indian populations "could not have exceeded much over 500,000."
Black River First Nation
The First Nation's current chief and council as of August 2, 2017 are Chief Sheldon Kent.Three councillors: Mildred Cook, Oral Johnston and Leah Fontaine.
Indigenous peoples in Quebec
The Malécite (or Maliseet, in an older English spelling) comprise one First Nation, the Première Nation Malecite de Viger, whose members live in two communities located in the Bas-St-Laurent region of Quebec. The communities are Cacouna and Whitworth. They number approximately 570 people.
Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation
In May 2008, the resident population was 1260, of whom about 900 members lived off the reserve. As of January 2011, the band had a total of 2219 registered members, of whom 1300 live on their own reserve, 20 live on another reserve, and 899 don't live on a reserve. By July 2012, the number of registered members had increased to 2337, of whom 1316 live on the reserve.
First Nations
In the 20th century, the First Nations population of Canada increased tenfold. Between 1900 and 1950 the population grew only by 29% but after the 1960s the infant mortality level on reserves dropped and the population grew by 161%. Since the 1980s, the number of First Nations babies more than doubled and currently almost half of the First Nations population is under the age of 25. As a result, the First Nations population of Canada is expected to increase in the coming decades.
Attawapiskat First Nation
There are over 2,800 members of Attawapiskat First Nation, but the local on-reserve population was 1,549 according to the 2011 census. More than a third of the members of the Attawapiskat First Nation who still live on their home reserve are under the age of 19 and three-quarters are under the age of 35 (2010-12-03). Altogether, 5% of the community, 101 people, have attempted suicide over the 7 months from September 2015 to April 2016.
Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation
Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation (also known as Grassy Narrows First Nation or the Asabiinyashkosiwagong Nitam-Anishinaabeg in the Anishinaabe language) is an Ojibway First Nation band government who inhabit northern Kenora in Ontario, Canada. Their landbase is the 4145 ha English River 21 Indian Reserve. It has a registered population of 1,455 as of June 2012, of which the on-reserve population was 951. They are a signatory to Treaty 3.
Indigenous peoples in Canada
As of the 2016 census, Aboriginal peoples in Canada totalled 1,673,785 people, or 4.9% of the national population, with 977,230 First Nations people, 587,545 Métis and 65,025 Inuit. 7.7% of the population under the age of 14 are of Aboriginal descent. There are over 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands with distinctive cultures, languages, art, and music. National Indigenous Peoples Day recognizes the cultures and contributions of Aboriginal peoples to the history of Canada. First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples of all backgrounds have become prominent figures and have served as role models in the Aboriginal community and help to shape the Canadian cultural identity.
St. Theresa Point First Nation
St. Theresa Point First Nation is a signatory of Treaty 5. As of December 2014 the First Nation had a registered population of 4,069 out of which 3,795 lived on their own reserve. The First Nation has a Custom Electoral System and is governed by an elected Chief and eight councillors. The First Nation is affiliated with the Island Lake Tribal Council
Six Nations of the Grand River
Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River, ) is the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of whom live on the reserve. It is the only reserve in North America that has representatives of all six Iroquois nations living together. These nations are the Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscarora. Some Lenape (formerly known as Delaware) also live in the territory.
First Nations
In 1991, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney created the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples chaired by René Dussault and Georges Erasmus. Their 1996 report proposed the creation of a government for (and by) the First Nations that would be responsible within its own jurisdiction, and with which the federal government would speak on a "Nation-to-Nation" basis. This proposal offered a far different way of doing politics than the traditional policy of assigning First Nations matters under the jurisdiction of the Indian and Northern Affairs, managed by one minister of the federal cabinet. The report also recommended providing the governments of the First Nations with up to $2 billion every year until 2010, in order to reduce the economic gap between the First Nations and the rest of the Canadian citizenry. The money would represent an increase of at least 50% to the budget of Indian and Northern Affairs. The report engaged First Nations leaders to think of ways to cope with the challenging issues their people were facing, so the First Nations could take their destiny into their own hands.
Lists of First Nations
List of First Nations entities include:
Indigenous language
Many indigenous languages are disappearing as there are no longer any young people left to speak those languages, so their remaining speakers are dying out.
In North America, since 1600 at least 52 Native American languages have disappeared. Globally, there may be more than 7,000 languages that exist in the world today, though many of them have not been recorded because they belong to tribes in rural areas of the world or are not easily accessible. It is estimated that 6,809 "living" languages exist in the world today, with 90% having fewer than 100,000 speakers. This means that roughly 6,100 languages are facing a risk of eventual extinction. Some languages are very close to disappearing.
Duncan's First Nation
Duncan's First Nation is a First Nation in northwestern Alberta, Canada. It operates as an Indian band under the "Indian Act" representing a community of Aboriginal Canadians, in this case from the Woods Cree ethnic group. The band became a party to Treaty 8 with the Canadian Crown on July 1, 1899. Indian reserves were surveyed for the band in 1905, but the reserves were not confirmed by Order-in-Council
until 1907 (eight parcels) and 1925 (two parcels). All but one reserves (#151A) were later surrendered to the Canadian government in 1928. One of them, #151K, was later returned to the band in 1965. The two remaining reserves are #151A, located west of Peace River, Alberta and #151K, located in the McLennon/Reno area, southeast of Peace River. The two reserves comprise a total area of , and the majority of the population lives on #151A. In 2012, the band had a registered population of 269, of whom 142 members living the band's reserves.
First Nations
Today, Aboriginal people work in a variety of occupations and live outside their ancestral homes. The traditional cultures of their ancestors, shaped by nature, still exert a strong influence on their culture, from spirituality to political attitudes.
Indigenous peoples in Quebec
The Mi'kmaq (or Micmac, in an older English spelling) live in the Canadian Maritime provinces and the Quebec region of the Gaspé Peninsula (French=Gaspésie). In Quebec, they number approximately 4,300 people and comprise three First Nations communities:The Innu (formerly referred to as the Montagnais) comprise nine First Nations in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec. These First Nations are:The Innu number 13,800 people.
Timeline of First Nations history
The history of First Nations is a prehistory and history of present-day Canada's peoples from the earliest times to the present with a focus on First Nations. The pre-history settlement of the Americas is subject of ongoing debate as First Nations oral history, combined with new methodologies and technologies used by archaeologists, linguists, and other researchers, produce new and sometimes conflicting, evidence. The 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People described four stages in Canadian history that overlap and occur at
different times in different regions: 1) Pre-contact – Different Worlds - Contact; 2) Early Colonies (1500-1763); 3) Displacement and Assimilation (1764-1969); and 4) Renewal to Constitutional Entrenchment (2018)
Indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East
Today, 40 indigenous peoples are officially recognised by Russia as indigenous small-numbered peoples and are listed in the unified register of indigenous small-numbered peoples (единый перечень коренных, малочисленных народов Российской Федерации). This register includes 46 indigenous peoples. Six of these peoples do not live in either the Extreme North or territories equated to it, so that the total number of recognised indigenous peoples of the North is 40. The Komi-Izhemtsy or Izvatas, a subgroup of the Komi peoples, are seeking recognition from the Russian government as a distinct indigenous people of the North.
Walpole Island First Nation
As of January 2011, the registered population of the Walpole Island First Nation is 4315 members, of whom 2213 live on the reserve, 22 live on another reserve, and 2080 live off reserve.
Chippewas of the Thames First Nation
Chippewas of the Thames First Nation is an Anishinaabe (Ojibway) First Nations band government located west of St. Thomas, in southwest Ontario, Canada. Their land base is the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation 42 reserve, which almost entirely surrounds the separate reserve of Munsee-Delaware 1. As of January 2014, their registered population is 2,738 people with 957 living on reserve.
First Nations
Under the Employment Equity Act, First Nations are a "designated group", along with women, visible minorities, and people with physical or mental disabilities. First Nations are not defined as a visible minority under the Act or by the criteria of Statistics Canada.
First Nations
The 2006 census counted a total Aboriginal population of 1,172,790 (3.75%) which includes 698,025 North American Indians (2.23%).
First Nations Workers Alliance
As of 30 June 2018 the government states that the CDP "has supported remote job seekers into more than 25,584 Jobs" since the implementation of the program in 2015. The program currently has approximately 32,000 people registered, with more than 80% of workers being indigenous people in remote areas.
Indigenous peoples in Canada
There are three (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) distinctive groups of North America indigenous peoples recognized in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, sections 25 and 35. Under the Employment Equity Act, Aboriginal people are a designated group along with women, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities. They are not a visible minority under the Employment Equity Act and in the view of Statistics Canada.
Numbered Treaties
With Treaties 1–7, there was some resistance from members of the First Nations to the treaty process and growing anxiety that it would allow a flood of settlers, but many saw it as a way to secure much needed assistance. The First Nations at this time were suffering due to the changing dynamics of the west including disease, famine, and conflict. First Nations people were being decimated by disease, specifically smallpox, and tuberculosis which had catastrophic ramifications for several groups. Tsuu T'ina for example were decimated by Old World disease. Their population fell from several thousand to only 300 to 400 remaining within the 1800s. They began to suffer from famine due to the near extinction of the buffalo. Active participation in selling pemmican and hide in the fur trade, in addition to hunting for personal sustenance, meant that those living on the plains lacked a vital food source to maintain their livelihood. They were eager to receive food aid and other assistance from the government, which they believed would be offered following the implementation of treaties. Some First Nation groups also sought to ensure some form of education would be provided to them through the implementation of the treaties. Education was crucial to the First Nations because their cultural way of life was diminishing around them quite rapidly. They believed that the promise of education would not only help curb the loss of culture but also ensure their children's future success in a new developed West. In the northern regions of this untreatied land, the First Nations were suffering from similar issues, but had to continue to lobby the Canadian government for years before treaties were negotiated. A focus on materials needed for survival was placed when they did finally occur.
Animakee Wa Zhing 37 First Nation
As of 2015, the First Nation had a registered membership of 405 people, 179 of whom were living on Animakee Wa Zhing 37 reserve lands.
First Nations in New Brunswick
The First Nations of New Brunswick, Canada number more than 10,000, mostly Mi'kmaq and Maliseet. Although the Passamaquoddy maintain a land claim at St. Andrews, New Brunswick and historically occurred in New Brunswick, they have no reserves in the province, and have no official status in Canada.
Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation
The First Nation has three reserves: the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation Indian Reserve, the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation 33A Indian Reserve and the shared Chippewa Island Indian Reserve.
Wabaseemoong Independent Nations
Wabaseemoong Independent Nations or more fully as the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations of One Man Lake, Swan Lake and Whitedog, is an Ojibway First Nation band government who reside 120 km northwest of Kenora, Ontario and east of the Ontario-Manitoba border of northwestern Ontario, Canada. As of February, 2009, the First Nation had a population of 1,732 registered people, of which their on-Reserve population was 837 registered members and approximately 100 non-Band members.
Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation
The nation had a registered population of 579 in 2013, according to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.
Cold Lake First Nations
The Cold Lake First Nations is a First Nations band government. This band is the governing body for people descended from several different historic groups, hence the plural, "nations", used in the band's name. In August 2016, there were 2,858 members of this band, of which 1,382 lived within five reserves, about large within the province of Alberta.
Northwest Territories
As of 2014 there are 33 official communities in the NWT. These range in size from Yellowknife with a population of 19,569 to Kakisa with 36 people. Governance of each community differs, some are run under various types of First Nations control, while others are designated as a city, town, village or hamlet, but most communities are municipal corporations. Yellowknife is the largest community and has the largest number of Aboriginal peoples, 4,520 (23.4%) people. However, Behchokǫ̀, with a population of 1,874, is the largest First Nations community, 1,696 (90.9%), and Inuvik with 3,243 people is the largest Inuvialuit community, 1,315 (40.5%). There is one Indian reserve in the NWT, Hay River Reserve, located on the south shore of the Hay River.
Mishkeegogamang First Nation
It is located along Highway 599 in the Kenora District, approximately south of Pickle Lake. Its total registered population as of January, 2018 is 1,920 . Of which the on-reserve population was over 1,000 people as of the 2016 Census). At one time a member of the Windigo First Nations Council, Mishkeegogamang First Nation is not part of any regional tribal councils ; however, they have retained their membership with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
Indigenous peoples in Ecuador
There is debate about the quantities of indigenous currently inhabiting Ecuador. Some elements of society, most famously the former President León Febres Cordero, have insisted that the indigenous make up no more than two million people. Historian Enrique Ayala Mora, too, estimates that the indigenous population is no more than sixteen percent. Other organizations, such as CONAIE, while giving varying estimates in different years, tend to approximate closer to four million. The discrepancy arises from the ways in which they are counted: "[d]oes one consider them such on the basis of physical characteristics or whether they live in the Andean Indian world?"
First Nations
Today, there are over thirty different languages spoken by indigenous people, most of which are spoken only in Canada. Many are in decline. Those with the most speakers include Anishinaabe and Cree (together totalling up to 150,000 speakers); Inuktitut with about 29,000 speakers in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador); and Mi'kmaq, with around 8,500 speakers, mostly in Eastern Canada. Many Aboriginal peoples have lost their native languages and often all but surviving elders speak English or French as their first language.
First Nations
Collectively, "First Nations", "Inuit", and "Métis" peoples constitute "Indigenous peoples in Canada," Indigenous peoples of the Americas, or "first peoples." "First Nation" as a term became officially used beginning in 1980s to replace the term "Indian band" in referring to groups of Indians with common government and language. The term had came into common usage in the 1970s to avoid using the word "Indian", which some Canadians considered offensive. No legal definition of the term exists.
Sixties Scoop
Canada's 1.4 million First Nations, Inuit and Métis people disproportionately experience poor living conditions and substandard schooling, among other issues. A 2016 study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that 51 percent of First Nations children live in poverty. This number increases to 60 percent for First Nations children who live on reserves, with poverty rates reaching 76 percent in Manitoba and 69 percent in Saskatchewan for First Nations children living on reserves. The study found poverty rates were 30 percent for non-status First Nations children, 25 percent for Inuit children, and 23 percent for Métis children. (Canada has an overall child poverty rate of 18 percent, ranking it 27 among 34 countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.)
Canadians
According to the 2016 census, the country's largest self-reported ethnic origin is Canadian (accounting for 32% of the population), followed by English (18.3%), Scottish (13.9%), French (13.6%), Irish (13.4%), German (9.6%), Chinese (5.1%), Italian (4.6%), First Nations (4.4%), Indian (4.0%), and Ukrainian (3.9%). There are 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands, encompassing a total of 1,525,565 people. Canada's indigenous population is growing at almost twice the national rate, and four percent of Canada's population claimed an indigenous identity in 2006. Another 22.3 percent of the population belonged to a non-indigenous visible minority. In 2016, the largest visible minority groups were South Asian (5.6%), Chinese (5.1%), and Black (3.5%). Between 2011 and 2016, the visible minority population rose by 18.4 percent. In 1961, less than two percent of Canada's population (about 300,000 people) were members of visible minority groups. Indigenous peoples are not considered a visible minority under the "Employment Equity Act", and this is the definition that Statistics Canada also uses.
Canadian culture is primarily a Western culture, with influences by First Nations and other cultures. It is a product of its ethnicities, languages, religions, political, and legal system(s). Canada has been shaped by waves of migration that have combined to form a unique blend of art, cuisine, literature, humour, and music. Today, Canada has a diverse makeup of nationalities and constitutional protection for policies that promote multiculturalism rather than cultural assimilation. In Quebec, cultural identity is strong, and many French-speaking commentators speak of a Quebec culture distinct from English Canadian culture. However, as a whole, Canada is a cultural mosaic: a collection of several regional, indigenous, and ethnic subcultures.
Wahnapitae First Nation
The Wahnapitae is an Ojibway First Nation band government in the Canadian province of Ontario, who primarily reside on the Wahnapitae Indian Reserve No. 11 on the northwestern shore of Lake Wanapitei. The First Nation is a signatory to the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850 as the Tahgaiwenene's Band. The reserve had a resident population of 102 in the Canada 2011 Census; the First Nation also has approximately 200 further registered members who currently live off-reserve.
Canada
According to the 2016 census, the country's largest self-reported ethnic origin is Canadian (accounting for 32% of the population), followed by English (18.3%), Scottish (13.9%), French (13.6%), Irish (13.4%), German (9.6%), Chinese (5.1%), Italian (4.6%), First Nations (4.4%), Indian (4.0%), and Ukrainian (3.9%). There are 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands, encompassing a total of 1,525,565 people. Canada's indigenous population is growing at almost twice the national rate, and four percent of Canada's population claimed an indigenous identity in 2006. Another 22.3 percent of the population belonged to a non-indigenous visible minority. In 2016, the largest visible minority groups were South Asian (5.6%), Chinese (5.1%) and Black (3.5%). Between 2011 and 2016, the visible minority population rose by 18.4 percent. In 1961, less than two percent of Canada's population (about 300,000 people) were members of visible minority groups. Indigenous peoples are not considered a visible minority under the Employment Equity Act, and this is the definition that Statistics Canada also uses.
First Nations
In 2014 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) released "Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Review". This publication documents the official findings of this demographic as well as advises for future change. It finds that there are 164 Aboriginal women still missing and 1,017 murdered, making for a total of 1,181. "There are 225 unsolved cases of either missing or murdered Aboriginal females: 105 missing for more than 30 days , whose cause of disappearance was categorized as 'unknown' or 'foul play suspected' and 120 unsolved homicides between 1980 and 2012." Indigenous women in Canada are overrepresented among the missing and murdered females in Canada. Additionally, there are shared characteristics among these cases: most of the murders were committed by men and were someone the victim knew, either a partner or an acquaintance. "Aboriginal women between the ages of 25 and 44 are 5 times more likely than other women of the same age to die as a result of violence." These statistics portray the severity and prevalence of violence against indigenous women in Canada.
Indian reserve
Of the 637,660 First Nations people who reported being Registered Indians, nearly one-half (49.3%) lived on an Indian reserve. This proportion varies across the country.
Constance Lake First Nation
On 4 February 2013, Tony Clement, acknowledged that the nine first First Nations, on and off-reserve in the Ring of Fire area are some of the "most socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in all of Canada."
Black River First Nation
The First Nation has as its reserve the 809.3 ha Black River 5 Indian Reserve.
Alexander First Nation
Alexander First Nation is a First Nations band government, headquartered 17km West of Morinville, Alberta. This First Nation is part of the Cree ethno-linguistic group, is a member of the Yellowhead Tribal Development Foundation (a regional grouping of several bands), and is party to Treaty 6. The band controls three Indian reserves: Alexander 134, Alexander 134A, and Alexander 134B. The main reserve is bordered by Sturgeon County and Lac Ste. Anne County.
Curve Lake First Nation
The Curve Lake First Nation is a Mississauga Ojibway First Nation located in Peterborough County of Ontario. The Curve Lake First Nation occupies three reserves; Curve Lake First Nation 35, Curve Lake 35A, and Islands in the Trent Waters Indian Reserve 36A. The last of these reserves is shared with the Hiawatha First Nation and the Scugog First Nation. The Curve Lake First Nation registered a population on these three reserves of 741, with an additional 1,050 registered band members living off-reserve.
Lac Brochet, Manitoba
As of February 2013 the total membership of Northland First Nation was 1,024 with 868 members living on-reserve and 156 members living off-reserve. The First Nation is governed by a Chief and six councillors and is affiliated with the Keewatin Tribal Council. The Keewatin Tribal Council with its head office in Thompson represents eleven First Nations in Northern Manitoba.
First Nations
Ethnographers commonly classify indigenous peoples of the Americas in the United States and Canada into ten geographical regions with shared cultural traits (called "cultural areas"). The Canadian (in whole or in part) regions are Arctic, Subarctic, Northeast Woodlands, Plains, and Plateau. See the individual article on each tribe, band society or First Nation.
Finns
Today, there are approximately 6–7 million ethnic Finns and their descendants worldwide, with majority of them living in their native Finland and the surrounding countries, namely Sweden, Russia and Norway. An overseas Finnish diaspora has long been established in the countries of the Americas and Oceania, with the population of primarily immigrant background, namely Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
The National Congress of Australia's First Peoples is the peak representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Established in 2010, National Congress has grown to comprise over 180 organisations and over 9,000 individual members.
Ucluelet First Nation
The governments of Canada, British Columbia, and each of the five Maa-nulth First Nations (Huu-ay-aht First Nation, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations, Toquaht Nation, Uchucklesaht Tribe, and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ) are Parties to the Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement - Vancouver Island’s first modern-day treaty and the first multi-nation treaty under the British Columbia treaty commission process - which came into force on the Effective Date of April 1, 2011.
Fort McKay First Nation
The Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN) is a First Nations government in northeast Alberta comprising five Indian reserves – Fort McKay 174, Fort McKay 174C, Fort McKay 174D, Namur Lake 174B and Namur River 174A. The FMFN, signed to Treaty 8, is affiliated with the Athabasca Tribal Council and its members are of Cree, Metis and Dene heritage. The FMFN's traditional lands include portions of the Athabasca oil sands.
Huu-ay-aht First Nations
The Huu-ay-aht First Nations (HFN) is a First Nations band government based on Pachena Bay about northwest of Victoria, British Columbia on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The HFN is a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and is a member of the Maa-nulth Treaty Society. It has recently completed and ratified its community constitution and has successfully ratified the Maa-nulth Treaty on 28 July 2007. The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia passed the Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement Act on Wednesday, 21 November 2007 and celebrated with the member-nations of the Maa-nulth Treaty Society that evening.
Independent First Nations Alliance
Incorporated in 1989, IFNA is made up of a representing Chief from each of the five member communities; upon the guidance of the people, the IFNA Chiefs direct the affairs of the IFNA based on customary norms and traditional consensus building. The Chiefs provide political direction to the organization in its strategic planning, government relations and policy development while IFNA provides the technical advisory and community development support programs to meet the needs and aspirations of its First Nations on a collective basis while each member First Nation maintains its autonomy. To assist in these activities, IFNA maintains a political and advocacy staff to support its efforts in helping their communities to prosper. In turn, IFNA is a member of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, a Tribal Political Organization representing majority of Treaty 5 and Treaty 9 First Nations in northern Ontario. IFNA member First Nations represent Treaties 3, 5, and 9 and the Robinson-Superior Treaty.
First Nations
The Nuu-chah-nulth are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. The term 'Nuu-chah-nulth' is used to describe fifteen separate but related First Nations, such as the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, Ehattesaht First Nation and Hesquiaht First Nation whose traditional home is in the Pacific Northwest on the west coast of Vancouver Island. In pre-contact and early post-contact times, the number of nations was much greater, but smallpox and other consequences of contact resulted in the disappearance of groups, and the absorption of others into neighbouring groups. The Nuu-chah-nulth are relations of the Kwakwaka'wakw, the Haisla, and the Ditidaht. The Nuu-chah-nulth language is part of the Wakashan language group.
Fishing Lake First Nation
There are presently 1,475 people registered with the Fishing Lake First Nation, of which 405 live on reserve. Their reserves include:
Abegweit First Nation
The Abegweit First Nation comprises the following reserves:The Abegweit First Nation was established in 1972. Abegweit is a custom band that is governed by 1 Chief and 2 Councillors that are elected every 4 years. The political term of office is 4 years and the Council is made up of 1 Chief and 2 Councillors. Its population numbers for the three communities as of 2015 were 209 people on reserve and 100 off-reserve.
Indigenous peoples in Quebec
The Algonquin, who refer to themselves as "Anishinaabeg", comprise nine First Nations who live in communities located in the Outaouais and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions of Quebec. These First Nations communities are:The Algonquin number approximately 8,600 people.
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII or PFII) is the UN's central coordinating body for matters relating to the concerns and rights of the world's indigenous peoples. "Indigenous person" means native, original, first people and aboriginal. There are more than 370 million indigenous people in some 70 countries worldwide. The forum is an advisory body within the framework of the United Nations System that reports to the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The first indigenous to be elected to office at a United Nations meeting was Chief Ted Moses of the Grand Council of the Crees in Canada, in 1989.
Polynesians
There are an estimated 2 million ethnic Polynesians worldwide, vast majority of whom inhabit independent Polynesian nation states (Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu) and form minorities in Australia, Chile (Easter Island), New Zealand, France (French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna), United Kingdom (Pitcairn Islands) and the United States (Hawaii and American Samoa).
First Nations
National Aboriginal Day recognizes the cultures and contributions of Aboriginal peoples of Canada. There are currently over 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands encompassing 1,172,790 people spread across Canada with distinctive Aboriginal cultures, languages, art, and music.
Fort William First Nation
The First Nation elect their officials through the Act Electoral System, consisting of a Chief and twelve councillors. The current Chief is Peter Collins, whose two-year term began on April 15, 2017. The councillors are, Leo Bannon Sr., Leo Bannon Jr., Murray Pelletier, Catherine McKenzie, Valerie Chapman, Jennelle Charlie, Anthony Collins, Kyle Maclaurin, Michele Solomon, Philip Pelletier, Yvette Greenwald and Sherry Pelletier.
Ahousaht First Nation
It has about 1800 members, almost half of whom live in Marktosis Indian Reserve No. 15 ("Marktosis" is an English-style adaptation of "Maaqtisiis" in the Nuu-chah-nulth language). The Ahousaht Nation is the most populous First Nation on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
First Nations in New Brunswick
New Brunswick is home to 15 First Nations.
First Nations in Manitoba
First Nations in Manitoba constitute of over 130,000 registered people. Of those, about 60% live on reserve. There are 63 First Nations in the Province and five indigenous linguistic groups. The languages are nihi`wawinCree, Ojibwe, Dakota, Oji-Cree and Dene. They are listed by "common usage" names but other names may be applied in certain areas. As an example, "Cree Nation" and "First Nation" is applied to certain bands on the same reserve.
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), formerly known as the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, is a Saskatchewan-based First Nations organization. The FSIN represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. The Federation is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the Treaties, as well as the promotion, protection and implementation of the Treaty promises that were made more than a century ago.
Indigenous peoples in Canada
The 2016 Canadian Census enumerated 1,673,780 Aboriginal people in Canada, 4.9% of the country's total population. This total includes 977,230 First Nations people, 587,545 Métis, and 65,025 Inuit. National representative bodies of Aboriginal people in Canada include the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis National Council, the Native Women's Association of Canada, the National Association of Native Friendship Centres and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples.
Skwah First Nation
Registered population of the Skwah First Nation is 479. Of these 232 live on one of the band's own reserves (115 male, 117 female), 51 live on reserves administered by another band (25 male, 26 female), while 196 live off-reserve (91 male, 105 female).
Biinjitiwabik Zaaging Anishnabek First Nation
The Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek (formerly known as Rocky Bay First Nation, and occasionally known as Biinjitiwaabik Zaagiing Anishinaabeg) is an Ojibway First Nation band government in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Their territory is located on the Rocky Bay 1 reserve in Greenstone, Ontario, bordering on the community of Macdiarmid. In October 2008, they had a total registered population of 678 people, of which 327 people lived on their own Indian reserve. The Nation is led by Chief Bart Hardy. The council is a member of Nokiiwin Tribal Council, a Regional Chiefs' Council, and is member of Union of Ontario Indians, a Tribal Political Organization. The First Nation is also a member of Waaskiinaysay Ziibi Inc., an economic development corporation made up of five Lake Nipigon First Nations.
Wabanaki Confederacy
The Wabanaki Confederacy ("Wabenaki, Wobanaki", translated roughly as "People of the First Light" or "People of the Dawnland") are a First Nations and Native American confederation of five principal nations: the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Abenaki, and Penobscot.
Groupism
It has been estimated that there are over 300 million indigenous people around the world some among which includes the Red Indians, Sami in Northern Europe, the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia and the Maori of New Zealand, Ainu people of Japan, Bantu in Somalia, Assyrians of the Middle east, the Kazakhs, Mongols, Tajik, Tibetans, Ugyur, and Eurasian Nomads of Kazakhstan, eastern Russia. In order to acquire group rights indigenous people also happen to be under the regulation of national and international law. Although International customary law at the United nation and elsewhere has regarded indigenous people as a category since the 20th century, the definition of indigenous people has been a subject of ongoing debate at the national level since their classification as a group by the national law has interfered with their traditional group making processes. For example, The Finland government ratified ILO convention no.169 in 1989 which involved declaration of right for indigenous people of Finland such as the following definition of legal requirement to vote to the election of the Sami parliament.
Semiahmoo First Nation
The Semiahmoo remain one of the smallest First Nations in the region with about 74 band members, of whom 40 live on Reserve. In fact, Semiahmoo has more non-Aboriginals living on its reserve than band members. As of 2003, the median age of the Semiahmoo population was 42.5 years: higher than the average for all people living on Indian Reserves in Greater Vancouver (which was 39.2 years).
First Nations
In Canada, the First Nations () are the predominant indigenous peoples in Canada south of the Arctic Circle. Those in the Arctic area are distinct and known as Inuit. The Métis, another distinct ethnicity, developed after European contact and relations primarily between First Nations people and Europeans. There are 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
Indigenous peoples of Brazil make up 0.4% of Brazil's population, or about 817,000 people, but millions of Brazilians are mestizo or have some indigenous ancestry. Indigenous peoples are found in the entire territory of Brazil, although in the 21st century, the majority of them live in indigenous territories in the North and Center-Western part of the country. On January 18, 2007, Fundação Nacional do Índio (FUNAI) reported that it had confirmed the presence of 67 different uncontacted tribes in Brazil, up from 40 in 2005. Brazil is now the nation that has the largest number of uncontacted tribes, and the island of New Guinea is second.
History of British Columbia
60% of First Nations in British Columbia are aligned with the First Nations Summit. This brings a total of 58 First Nations, but only 20 are said to be in active negotiations. Three Final Agreements have been settled, with one being rejected by Lheidli T'enneh in 2007. The other two, the Maa-nulth treaty group, a 5 Nuu-chah-nulth member group, and the Tsawwassen First Nation. Although these treaties have yet to be ratified by Parliament in Ottawa and Legislature in Victoria, neighbouring First Nations are seeking to block these treaties in the courts. A group of Vancouver Island and some mainland First Nations, the WSANEC, Lekwungen, and Semiahmoo, are seeking to block to Tsawwassen First Nation treaty, claiming infringement on their rights and land titles. On the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Ditidaht First Nation is doing the same against the Maa-nulth treaty group. The only treaty signed in recent years, the Nisga'a Treaty (1998), was negotiated outside of the current treaty process. There is considerable disagreement about treaty negotiations. Among indigenous people, there is mounting criticism of extinguishment of Aboriginal title and continued assimilation strategies by attempting to change the indigenous peoples from nations to municipal style government. Therefore, a substantial number of First Nations governments consider the current treaty process inadequate and have refused to participate.
Lake Nipigon
The aboriginal population (primarily Ojibwe) include the Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek (Lake Nipigon Ojibway) First Nation, the Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging (Rocky Bay whose name changed in 1961 from McIntyre Bay Indian Band) Anishinaabek First Nation, the Bingwi Neyaashi (Sand Point) Anishinaabek First Nation, the Red Rock (Lake Helen) First Nation and the Gull Bay First Nation. Formerly, the Whitesand First Nation was also located along the northwestern shores of Lake Nipigon until they were relocated in 1942. The membership of these six First Nations total about 5,000. Additionally along Lake Nipigon, there are three Indian Reserves : McIntyre Bay IR 54 (Rocky Bay First Nation), Jackfish Island IR 57 and Red Rock (Parmachene) IR 53 (Red Rock First Nation).
Status of First Nations treaties in British Columbia
The status of the First Nations, Aboriginal people of British Columbia, Canada, is a long-standing problem that has become a major issue in recent years. In 1763 the British Crown declared that only it could acquire land from First Nations through treaties. Historically only two treaties were signed with the First Nations of BC. The first of which was the Douglas Treaties, negotiated by Sir James Douglas with the native people of southern Vancouver Island from 1850-1854. The second treaty, Treaty 8, signed in 1899 was part of the Numbered Treaties that were signed with First Nations outside of British Columbia. British Columbian Treaty 8 signatories are located in the Peace River Country or the far North East of BC. For over nine decades no more treaties were signed with First Nations of BC; many Native people wished to negotiate treaties, but successive BC provincial governments refused until the 1990s. A major development was the 1997 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in the Delgamuukw v. British Columbia case that Aboriginal title still exists in British Columbia and that when dealing with Crown land, the government must consult with and may have to compensate First Nations whose rights are affected.
Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke
The members of Kahnawá:ke First Nation are Mohawks. In October 2016, the band had a total registered population of 10,946 members, 2,959 of which lived off reserve.
Yellow Quill First Nation
Total registered population in October 2007, was 2522, of which the on-reserve population was 800+ members, and off-reserve population was 1600+ members. The First Nation is a member of the Saskatoon Tribal Council and have their urban offices in Saskatoon as well as their Tribal Council offices.
Naicatchewenin First Nation
As of February 2009, the First Nation had a registered population of 375 people, of whom 257 people live within their own Reserve.
Qualicum First Nation
The Qualicum First Nation has 128 members. As of 2016 Census, there were 74 individuals living on the reserve.
List of Native American peoples in the United States
There are currently decent-sized populations of Seneca, Saponi, Lenape, Tutelo, Miami and Shawnee in the state, however they are not all federally recognized, or are enrolled in a federally recognized tribe. Despite this, the State has offered limited tribal recognition to many of them. Tribal members are not required to live on reservations in order to retain status, and there are currently no reservations for native peoples within the state today. Also, a large amount of Ohioans today claim ancestry of Cherokee, Blackfoot (clearly, Saponi, aka Eastern Blackfoot, is meant), Chippewa (Odawa), and Shawnee, as well as of various Iroquoians groups.'extinct' indicates the tribe no longer exists.
'endangered' indicates the tribe has less than 100 members still living.""* 'Broke away' indicates the tribe was known before, but was part of a larger group. Tribes who came into existence by breaking away are not so labelled.
Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations
Tla-o-qui-aht, whose ancestral border is determined by the 'height of land, the direction of the rivers flow and as far as the eye can see on the ocean, is a confederacy of aboriginal groups who historically were independent from one another. Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations is the ‘Indian Band’ mandated under the Federal Indian Act to deliver civil and human services to Tla-o-qui-aht. The hereditary governance systems and structures of Tla-o-qui-aht that exist today, and that have existed since time immemorial have a dynamic relationship with the Indian Band administration and with the general population of Tla-o-qui-aht.
The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation resides on two separate reserves, one on Meares Island (Opitsaht) and the other at Esowista, surrounded by Pacific Rim National Park. A reserve expansion is planned for the Esowista site. The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (TFN) has been very active in economic development.
The keystone to understanding Tla-o-qui-aht history is understanding what the term Tla-o-qui-aht means. The following translation/interpretation was developed based on conversations with various Tla-o-qui-aht elders (including Mary Hayes and Dixon Sam Mitt, among others), fluent speakers, master craftsmen, seasoned politicians and those who participated in the exhaustive community consultation that was implemented by Tla-o-qui-aht during the Meares Island court case.
Muskoday First Nation
The Muskoday First Nation (formerly the John Smith First Nation) is a First Nation band government in Saskatchewan, Canada, composed of Cree and Saulteaux peoples. The First Nation has a registered population of 1,828 people as of September 2014, of which approximately 623 members of the First Nation live on-reserve, and approximately 1204 live off-reserve. Muskoday's territory is located in the aspen parkland biome. It is bordered by the rural municipalities of Birch Hills No. 460 and Prince Albert No. 461.
Constance Lake First Nation
Constance Lake First Nation is one of eight First Nation communities along with Aundeck Omni Kaning, M'Chigeeng, Sagamok, Sheguiandah, Sheshegwaning, Whitefish River, and Zhiibaahasing (totalling a member population of 6,800+ people), served by the Anishnaabe controlled and directed Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute (KTEI), a non-profit incorporated organization. KTEI was formed in April 1994 with the merger of the Wautebek Training Institute and Nda-Gkenjge-Gamig Educational Institute. KTEI provides educational services that "complement First Nation’s education delivery in meeting the needs of all learners in school and post-school programs."History KTEI
First Nations
First Nations peoples had settled and established trade routes across what is now Canada by 1,000 BC to 500 BC. Communities developed, each with its own culture, customs, and character. In the northwest were the Athapaskan-speaking peoples, Slavey, Tłı̨chǫ, Tutchone-speaking peoples, and Tlingit. Along the Pacific coast were the Haida, Salish, Kwakiutl, Nuu-chah-nulth, Nisga'a and Gitxsan. In the plains were the Blackfoot, Kainai, Sarcee and Northern Peigan. In the northern woodlands were the Cree and Chipewyan. Around the Great Lakes were the Anishinaabe, Algonquin, Iroquois and Wyandot. Along the Atlantic coast were the Beothuk, Maliseet, Innu, Abenaki and Micmac.
Indigenous peoples in Quebec
Indigenous peoples in Quebec () total 11 distinct ethnic groups. The 10 First Nations and the Inuit communities number 141,915 people and account for approximately 2% of the population of Quebec, Canada.
First Nations in Alberta
First Nations in Alberta are Indigenous peoples who live in the Canadian province of Alberta. The First Nations are peoples (or nations) recognized as Aboriginal peoples in Canada excluding the Inuit and the Métis. According to the 2011 Census, a population of 116,670 Albertans self-identified as First Nations. Specifically there were 96,730 First Nations people with registered Indian Status and 19,945 First Nations people without registered Indian Status. Alberta has the third largest First Nations population among the provinces and territories (after Ontario and British Columbia). From this total population, 47.3% of the population lives on an Indian reserve and the other 52.7% live in urban centres. According to the 2011 Census, the First Nations population in Edmonton (the provincial capital) totalled at 31,780, which is the second highest for any city in Canada (after Winnipeg). The First Nations population in Calgary, in reference to the 2011 Census, totalled at 17,040. There are 48 First Nations or "bands" in Alberta (in the sense of governments made up of a council and a chief), belonging to nine different ethnic groups or "tribes" based on their ancestral languages.
Black River First Nation
Black River First Nation (sometimes Little Black River First Nation; Makadewaagamijiwanong in Ojibwe) is an Ojibwa First Nation located around O'Hanley, Manitoba, along the O'Hanley and Black Rivers, on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg. It is 32 kilometers north of Pine Falls, and around 150 kilometers north of Winnipeg. In January 2008, the total registered population was 977, of which the on-reserve population was 701. The 2011 Census reported 521 inhabitants at the reserve.
Whitesand First Nation
The Whitesand First Nation is an Ojibway First Nation reserve in Northern Ontario, Canada. They have reserved for themselves the Whitesand reserve. The community of Armstrong Settlement is their main community, located coterminously with Armstrong, Thunder Bay District, Ontario. In June 2008, their total registered population was 1086 people, of which their on-reserve population was 311.
Indigenous peoples in Canada
In Section Thirty-five of the Constitution Act, 1982, "Aboriginal peoples of Canada" includes the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples. "Aboriginal peoples" is a legal term encompassing all indigenous Canadian groups. "Aboriginal peoples" is beginning to be considered outdated and slowly being replaced by the term "Indigenous peoples". "First Nations" (most often used in the plural) has come into general use since the 1970s replacing "Indians" in everyday vocabulary. However, on reserves, "First Nations" is being supplanted by members of various nations referring to themselves by their group or ethnical identity. In conversation this would be "I am Haida", or "we are Kwantlens", in recognition of their First Nations ethnicities.
Mississauga First Nation
Mississauga First Nation is one of the six First Nations that make up the Mississauga Nations. It is located directly west of Blind River, Ontario, Canada, on the Mississagi River 8 Reserve.
Tseshaht First Nation
There are 1103 Tseshaht. The main reserve community is located in Port Alberni, British Columbia. They became the area's dominant tribe through historical warfare. The Tseshaht First nation is one of 14 that make up the Nuu-chah-nulth culture. Their language is a member of the Wakashan family.
Canadian Métis Council
Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes three Aboriginal peoples of Canada: the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. However, in the absence of a clear definition of the term Métis, certain descendants of the Métis of the Red River Colony, in what is now Manitoba, confuse the concepts of people and nation and assume that this recognition applies to them alone. But in fact, the term métis was used far earlier, in New France, to refer to all descendants of mixed marriages between men of European descent and First Nations women. In modern times, the Manitoba Metis Federation has turned this generic term into an ethnonym and claimed exclusive rights to its use. The Métis National Council – the organization that represents the Métis Nation, defined as Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the Northern United States – has done the same and still refuses to recognize the existence of other Métis, despite the recommendations in the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the Powley and Daniels decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada. 
At the time of the 2011 census, there were 451,800 people who self-identified as Métis, including 228,150 in the Prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta). This means that there were 223,650 people self-identified as Métis and scattered across the other provinces and territories. Although not all of these people are Métis within the meaning of the Powley decision, some 50 communities outside the Prairie provinces can be identified by reference to Department of Justice research reports, federal censuses, provincial and federal court cases, websites, and the transcript of the hearings that the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples held in 2012 on the legal and political recognition of Métis identity in Canada and the rights of Métis in Canada.
Even though this committee heard from Métis from Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, it did not take their testimony into account in the report that it published in 2013. It recognized only the Métis of the national homeland, except for those in Kelowna, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, who are covered by Treaty 8 of 1899 and Treaty 11 of 1921, respectively. Reflecting the position of the Métis National Council, the Senate committee did not travel to Labrador and did not consider the existence of the Métis of Sault Ste Marie.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis; the descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" are falling into disuse. "Indian" is a name that originated from foreigners. In Canada, it is quite frowned upon to use the name "Indian" in casual conversation. "Eskimo" is considered derogatory in many other places because it was given by non-Inuit people and was said to mean "eater of raw meat." 
Hundreds of Aboriginal nations evolved trade, spiritual and social hierarchies. The Métis ethnicity developed a culture from the mid-17th century after generations of First Nations and native Inuit married European settlers. They were small farmers, hunters and trappers, and usually Catholic and French-speaking. The Inuit had more limited interaction with European settlers during that early period. Various laws, treaties, and legislation have been enacted between European-Canadians and First Nations across Canada. Aboriginal Right to Self-Government provides the opportunity for First Nations to manage their own historical, cultural, political, health care and economic control within their communities.
Although not without conflict, European/Canadian early interactions in the east with First Nations and Inuit populations were relatively peaceful compared to the later experience of native peoples in the United States. Combined with a late economic development in many regions, this relatively peaceful history resulted in Indigenous peoples having a fairly strong influence on the early national culture, while preserving their own identity. From the late 18th century, European Canadians encouraged Aboriginals to assimilate into the mainstream European-influenced culture, which they referred to as Canadian culture. The government attempted forced integration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. National Aboriginal Day recognises the cultures and contributions of Aboriginal peoples of Canada. There are currently over 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands encompassing 1,172,790 people spread across Canada, with distinctive Aboriginal cultures, languages, art, and music.
Lakota people
There are nine bands of Dakota and Lakota in Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan, with a total of 6,000 registered members. They are recognized as First Nations but are not considered "treaty Indians". As First Nations they receive rights and entitlements through the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada department. However, as they are not recognized as treaty Indians, they did not participate in the land settlement and natural resource revenues. The Dakota rejected a $60-million land-rights settlement in 2008.
Numbered Treaties
In 2010, Canada signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In 2011 and again in 2012 the United Nations criticized the federal government over Attawapiskat. In 2012 in "Daniels v. Canada" the Federal Court of Canada ruled that 200,000 off-reserve First Nations people and 400,000 Métis were also "Indians" under S. 91(24) of the "Constitution Act, 1867". These however had no formal representation at the Assembly of First Nations, which had hitherto been assumed by the federal government to speak authoritatively on all matters involving "Indians".
Cree
The Cree (; ) are one of the largest groups of First Nations in North America, with over 200,000 members living in Canada. The major proportion of Cree in Canada live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. About 38,000 live in Quebec.
Sipekne'katik First Nation
The Sipekne'katik First Nation is composed of four Mi'kmaq First Nation reserves located in central Nova Scotia. As of 2012, the Mi'kmaq population is 1,195 on-Reserve, and approximately 1,190 off-Reserve. The First Nation includes Indian Brook 14, Nova Scotia, near Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. The band was known as the Shubenacadie First Nation until 2014 when the traditional spelling and pronunciation of its name was officially adopted.
Ahousaht First Nation
The Ahousaht First Nation is the largest Nuu-chah-nulth Nation. The Nation is a confederation of multiple former tribes: the Ahousaht, Manhousaht, Kelthsmaht, Piniit-thlaht, Qwaacwi-aht, O-inmitisaht, and Otsosaht. This joining of nations began even before the arrival of the Europeans to their respective shores.
Ahousaht’s population of approximately 1900 people has been growing at an average rate of 2.6% per year and is projected to increase to 3125 by 2024. Seventy-seven percent of members are under 40 years of age and 41 percent under 19 years.
Ahousaht means people (aht) of Ahous, a small bay on the west side of Vargas Island. The Nation’s territory encompasses much of Clayoquot Sound. Currently 36 percent of Ahousaht members live at Marktosis Indian Reserve (IR # 15) located on Flores Island north of Tofino. Marktosis has a large community hall, a gym, a youth center, a restaurant, a health center and a school for children K-12. Recently, work has begun to expand the elementary/high school to better meet the needs of the students and the community.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
Indigenous peoples in what is now the contiguous United States, including their descendants, were commonly called "American Indians", or simply "Indians" domestically. Since the late 20th century, when some insisted on using "Native American", as their preferred term, the United States Census Bureau and other parts of government have also adopted it. In Alaska, indigenous peoples belong to 11 cultures with 11 languages. These include the St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Iñupiat, Athabaskan, Yup'ik, Cup'ik, Unangax, Alutiiq, Eyak, Haida, Tsimshian, and Tlingit, and are collectively called Alaska Natives. They include Native American peoples as well as Inuit, who are distinct but occupy areas of the region. The United States has authority with Indigenous Polynesian peoples, which include Hawaiians, Marshallese, Samoan, Tahitian, and Tongan; politically they are classified as Pacific Islands American. They are geographically, genetically, and culturally distinct from indigenous peoples of the mainland continents of the Americas.
Native Americans in the United States make up 0.97% to 2% of the population. In the 2010 census, 2.9 million people identified as Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native alone. A total of 5.2 million people identified as Native Americans, either alone or in combination with one or more ethnicity or other races. 1.8 million are enrolled tribal members. Tribes have established their own criteria for membership, which are often based on blood quantum, lineal descent, or residency. A minority of Native Americans live in land units called Indian reservations. Some California and Southwestern tribes, such as the Kumeyaay, Cocopa, Pascua Yaqui and Apache, span both sides of the US–Mexican border. By treaty, Haudenosaunee people have the legal right to freely cross the US–Canada border. Athabascan, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Iñupiat, Blackfeet, Nakota, Cree, Anishinaabe, Huron, Lenape, Mi'kmaq, Penobscot, and Haudenosaunee, among others, live in both Canada and the United States. The international border cut through their common cultural territory.