Terms
The three distinct groups of Indigenous peoples recognized in Canada.
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
The traditional piece of clothing that Gavin McKenna's mother made for the 2025 World Junior Championships to represent his Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in culture.
a moosehide vest
The abusive schools that thousands of Indigenous children were sent to between 1880 and 1996, often far from their communities and families.
residential schools
The meaning of our school's name, gifted by the nearby Sc’ianew Nation.
house of the eagle
The agreements between the Crown and Indigenous peoples.
Treaties
The pieces of land set aside for the use of a specific First Nation; much of what can be done on or with this land is controlled by the federal government.
reserves
The cedar monuments created by many First Nations along the coast of the Pacific Northwest.
totem poles
The day dedicated to raising awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people.
Red Dress Day
How we say thank you in SENĆOŦEN.
HÍSW̱ḴE
The Act that has defined the relationship between the Canadian government and First Nations since 1876.
The Indian Act
The definition of Métis.
Indigenous peoples having both European settler and First Nations ancestry and accepted by the Métis Nation.
The stone figure on the flag of Nunavut.
an inukshuk
The ceremonial redistribution of wealth practiced by many First Nations in the Pacific Northwest; banned by the Indian Act.
the potlatch
The name of one of the traditional languages of the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations, such as the Malahat and T'Sou-ke - the language we'll be learning with Katie and Brother Rick!
SENĆOŦEN
The part of Canada's Constitution that creates, protects, and reasonably limits an individual's rights, including our right to vote, our legal rights, and our right to equality.
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The process of taking control of the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples, and extending that control over those peoples through force, law, and other means.
colonization
The name of the beaded belts used by some Indigenous groups to symbolize treaties with European colonial powers.
wampum belts
The resource that is not reliably available in many reserve communities, some of whom have not had safe access for decades.
water
The name of the language spoken by some Métis people in Canada; mainly a mixture of Cree and French, but also borrows from English and other Indigenous languages.
Michif
The year when a Canadian province elected an Indigenous premier for the first time.
2023
Land seized by the Canadian government from the original Indigenous inhabitants WITHOUT any treaties or other agreement.
unceded land
The main symbols of the Métis in Canada.
the white infinity sign (looks like an eight on its side) or an Assomption/arrow sash
The system created to control the movement of Indigenous peoples, restricting their economic, cultural, and social activities to their own reserves unless the local Indian agent permitted them to leave.
the pass system
The number of Indigenous languages spoken (and sleeping) in Canada.
Over 70!
The year Indigenous peoples were first permitted to vote in Canadian elections, WITHOUT losing their status or treaty rights.
1960