General Terms
This term refers to the original inhabitants of a region, in this case North America
What is Indigenous Peoples
These are pre-existing rights that a person is born into their nation with, officially recognized by Canada under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
What is Inherent Rights
A tract of land set apart by the Crown for the use and benefit of a band, with legal title vested in the Crown
What is a Reserve?
A system of assimilating Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture by removing them from their families and communities and sending them to these church-run, government-funded industrial schools
What is Residential schools ?
This term refers to Indigenous people in northern Canada, living mainly in Nunavut, Northwest Territories, northern Quebec and Labrador. They are not covered by the Indian Act
What is Inuit?
The process of voluntarily giving up one's legal status as an Indian, which was terminated in 1985.
What is Enfrachisement?
A formal agreement confirming the terms when a First Nation exchanges part of its territory for compensation.
What is Surrender?
The geographic area identified by a First Nation as the land traditionally occupied or used by them and/or their ancestors
What is Traditional Territory?
A practice of removing Indigenous children from their families into the child welfare system for adoption, particularly in the 1960s
What is the Sixities Scoop?
People of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry, with a definition adopted by the Métis National Council in 2002.
What are the Metis?
This plural noun, used in the Constitution Act 1982, includes the Indian (or First Nations), Inuit and Métis Peoples. So legally, until terminology in the Constitution Act is changed, this word will always have a place at the terminology table.
What are Aboriginal Peoples?
Communal or community rights to share in the use of property, a concept used by courts to distinguish between Crown title and Indigenous title
What is Usufructuary Rights?
This term refers to the rights of Aboriginal Peoples to the occupation, use and enjoyment of their land and its resources.
What is Aboriginal Title?
An agreement between government and a First Nation that defines the rights of Indigenous Peoples with respect to lands, resources and self-government authority over a specified area
What is a treaty?
This a term used to identify Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Métis nor Inuit. This term came into common usage in the 1970s to replace the term “Indian” and “Indian band” which many find offensive.
What are First Nation(s)?
A becoming gradually outdated collective term referring to Indians (Status, Non-status, Treaty), Métis, and Inuit but has largely been replaced by Indigenous.
What is the term native?
A legal duty described by the Supreme Court as the obligation of one party to look after the well-being of another.
What is Fiduciary obligation?
A broad term used to describe various contractual commitments related to development of land or resources subject to Aboriginal rights.
What are Impacts and Benefits Agreements (IBA)?
This time of history is used oral as opposed to written languages, since the dawn of time. It is frequently used to pass information to future generations through stories, songs.
What is oral history?
The Band's governing body. Community members choose the Chief and councilors by election under section 74 of the Indian Act, or through traditional custom.
What is Band Council or First Nation Council ?
Certificates redeemable for land or money issued to Métis during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
What is a Scrip?
A federal legislation that regulates Indians and reserves and sets out certain federal government powers and responsibilities toward First Nations and their reserved lands
What is the Indian Act?
A term used by the federal government to refer to a negotiated settlement with a First Nation on lands, land usage, and other rights.
What is a Land Claim agreement?
These people are recognized because they have earned the respect of their community through wisdom, harmony and balance of their actions in their teachings
What is an Elder?
Refers to the voluntary, confidential, self-described declaration of Indigenous identity.
What is Self Identification?