Who We Are

The Aboriginal peoples were the first to inhabit Canada. They are often referred to as the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

First Nations refers to the diverse group of Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are more than 630 First Nation communities in Canada, representing more than 50 nations and 50 indigenous languages.

The Inuit live in the Arctic region, in small, scattered communities across the Northwest Territories, Labrador, Arctic Quebec, and Nunavut. The word "Inuit" means "the people" in the Inuktitut language.

The Métis are a distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry, the majority of whom live in the Prairie provinces. They have their own culture, traditions, language (Michif), and way of life, shaped by their unique heritage.

From the 1800s to the 1990s, the government placed many Aboriginal children in residential schools to educate and assimilate them into mainstream Canadian culture. The schools were poorly funded and often run with neglect and abuse. In 2008, the Government of Canada apologized for the residential school system.

English and French are the two official languages and are important symbols of identity. The federal government is required by law (the Official Languages Act) to provide services throughout Canada in both English and French.

The majority of Francophones live in the province of Quebec. One million Francophones live in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Manitoba, with smaller communities in all other provinces.

New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province. The Official Languages Act is consistent with section 16 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which declares that English and French are the official languages of Canada.

The Quebec government enacted the Charter of the French Language (known as Bill 101) in 1977 to promote French as the language of everyday life in Quebec.

Canada is often referred to as a land of immigrants, because for over 400 years, newcomers have helped to build and define the character of the country. Today, millions of Canadians trace their origins to countries around the world.

The majority of Canadians were born in Canada. The largest groups of newer immigrants come from Asia. The Multiculturalism Act of 1988 affirms the multicultural heritage of Canadians.

Canada's diversity includes many different religious traditions: mainly Christianity, but also Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and many others. The great majority of Canadians identify as Christians.

In Canada, men and women are equal under the law. Canada's openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, "honour killings," female genital mutilation, forced marriage, or other gender-based violence. Those guilty of these crimes are severely punished under Canada's criminal laws.