National Identity Basics
This term describes belonging to a large group or community that shares things like language, culture, land, or political values.
What is national identity?
In the 1840s, this kind of government was demanded so that the government would answer to the people instead of a British governor.
What is responsible government?
After Confederation, this language community saw its influence shrink as English immigration increased across Canada.
Who are Francophones (or Québécois)?
These three groups are recognized as Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Who are First Nations, Inuit, and Métis?
Since 1957, this federal program has tried to ensure that all Canadians can access comparable public services, no matter where they live.
What are equalization payments?
Some experts see this as dangerous because it can create an “us-versus-them” mindset, while others see it as positive because it can create unity and security.
What is nationalism?
This 1860s event united several British North American colonies into one new country with four provinces.
What is Confederation (in 1867)?
Many Québec Francophones saw three options: accept a smaller role, seek more provincial control, or pursue this political goal.
What is sovereignty (independence)?
This 1876 law gave the federal government sweeping control over First Nations people and imposed restrictive definitions of “status.”
What is the Indian Act?
These two central provinces hold many seats in the House of Commons because of their large populations.
What are Ontario and Québec?
Canada’s political system is often described with these two phrases: one refers to a monarch as head of state, the other to an elected government that makes laws.
What is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy?
Fear of American expansion during this conflict helped push leaders toward Confederation.
What is the U.S. Civil War?
This 1960s period in Québec saw major social, economic, and educational reforms, and a push for more control over language and the economy.
What is the Quiet Revolution?
This Métis leader pushed for Indigenous rights through the Red River Resistance and the 1885 North-West Resistance.
Who is Louis Riel?
This term describes feelings in Western provinces, especially Alberta, that federal decisions on energy and economics are unfair to them.
What is Western alienation?
On the world stage, Canada is often described with this term, meaning it is not a superpower but is respected for diplomacy, peacekeeping, and multilateral cooperation.
What is a middle power?
This first prime minister imagined a Canada stretching “from sea to sea.”
Who is John A. Macdonald?
Founded in 1968 by René Lévesque, this political party advocated for Québec independence.
What is the Parti Québécois?
More First Nations are asserting jurisdiction over child and family services under this law, reclaiming authority over the care of Indigenous children.
What is Bill C-92?
This type of nation is built not on a single culture but on shared rules and democratic principles that allow many cultures to live together.
What is a civic nation?
This phrase captures the idea that Canada is not just one nation, but includes Indigenous peoples, Francophones, Anglophones, and many immigrant communities.
What is “a nation of many nations”?
These agreements with First Nations transferred vast territories to the federal government and forced many First Nations onto reserves.
What are the numbered treaties (treaties with First Nations)?
Passed in 1969 under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, this act aimed to protect French and English as official languages across Canada.
What is the Official Languages Act?
Adopted into federal law in 2021, this UN declaration reinforces rights such as free, prior, and informed consent and protection of traditional territories.
What is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)?
Because Canada exercises influence mainly through diplomacy, alliances, and development rather than military strength, it is often described as this kind of state on the global stage.
What is a middle power?