Indigenous Peoples
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This guide provides an overview for communicating about Indigenous Peoples, communities and nations. Included are best practices for terminology and language use which can change over time. It is important to stay informed and adapt as necessary.
Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations estimates there are Indigenous Peoples in 70 countries. In Canada, Indigenous Peoples comprise three distinct groups: First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. It is important to be respectful of the diversity within and across these groups, using terms that denote how they wish to be identified. This entails using language that is culturally responsive and determined by the individual(s), community(ies), and/or nation(s) who are mentioned.
The term Indigenous is used in reference to a specific land and the people who have occupied those lands since time immemorial. Indigenous is considered by some to be a more inclusive term since it identifies peoples in similar circumstances without respect to national boundaries to local conventions. For instance, when using Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian context, it is in reference to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
Note that while Indigenous has increased in use, it is also contested by some because it does not acknowledge the unique identities and distinct rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. Specificity is the best practice, so use specific group names as much as possible, rather than generalized terms, like Indigenous.
Regardless of who is referenced, always capitalize the nation, band, community, territory and Indigenous group that is in focus. For instance, Indigenous Peoples, First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as names of groups or territories such as Innu, Cree, Anishinabek, Six Nations of the Grand River.
Avoid using “Indigenous Canadian” and “Canada’s Indigenous people,” which may imply possession or colonialism. Instead, use Indigenous Peoples in Canada more generally, avoid the generic term native in referring to a person’s geographic or cultural roots. Instead of saying someone is a Guelph native, say the person is Guelph-born, originally from Guelph, hails from Guelph, was raised in Guelph, etc.
Never use the term Native to refer to Indigenous Peoples. Note that in the United States, the term Native American is in common use to describe Indigenous Peoples. Additionally, the term Aboriginal is no longer largely used in the Canadian context. While it remains in use in legal documentation like the Constitution Act of 1982, Section 35, the term is not discernible in other countries such as the United States, New Zealand or Australia.
First Nations
The Canadian federal government recognizes 619 First Nations, defined as communities for whom, based on Treaty agreements, land has been set apart as a reserve. These federally recognized communities are not recognized as reservations – this is a term used in the United States.
First Nations people include Status, Treaty or Registered “Indians,” as well as non-Status and non-Registered “Indians.” Many people prefer to be called First Nations instead of “Indian,” which is a term in the Indian Act that their communities never adopted or accepted. This language is outdated; however, it is used in reference to legal documentation such as the Constitution Act 1982 and the Indian Act.
First Nations people come from diverse areas and have distinct cultures, languages and traditions. Thus, it is important to respect these differences and identify the specific community or Nation that a person comes from. For instance, a Cree scholar, the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Mohawk language, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Instead of saying, “Theresa is an Indigenous person,” say, “Theresa is a Cree person from Saddle Lake Cree Nation.”
Métis
The Métis are a distinct Indigenous Peoples and Nation recognized in the Constitution Act 1982 as one of the three Indigenous groups in what is known as Canada. Originally the descendants of First Nations women and European male fur traders, the Métis emerged in the late 18th century in northwestern Canada.
Generations of intermarriages led to the genesis of this new group with a distinct identity and culture, separate from First Nations and European people. Distinct Indigenous settlements emerged as an outgrowth of the fur trade, along freighting waterways and watersheds, alive with their own unique culture, traditions, language (Michif), ways of life and nationhood.
It is important to avoid Métis as a generic term for people of mixed First Nations descent. Many have this mixed ancestry, but not all can be described as Métis. Use Métis only when individuals and communities use the term themselves. For instance, a Métis scholar, Grand River Métis Council, Métis Nation of Ontario. Note the acute accent is used in Ontario, although not throughout Canada.
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally and linguistically similar Indigenous people who reside in the Circumpolar regions of Canada, United States, Greenland and Russia.
Within Canada, the Arctic and Subarctic is referred to as Inuit Nunangat, which is spread across Nunavut, Nunavik (Arctic Quebec), Nunatsiavut (Arctic Labrador) and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Northwest Territories).
Inuit means “all living people,” so it is redundant to say, Inuit people. The singular of Inuit is Inuk, and for two people, Inuuk is used. Inuit is used for three or more people. As dialects vary across Inuit Nunangat, follow the subject’s preference and regional language.
Do not use the term Eskimo.
Note that the Innu are a First Nations group in northeastern Quebec and central Labrador. Don’t confuse them with the Inuit in these regions, who are a distinct Indigenous group of their own.
U of G and Treaty Territories
The Guelph campus resides on the Treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit (Between the Lakes, Treaty 3), an Anishinaabek community. Anishinaabe refers to Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi and other Algonquin-speaking groups.
Locally, Six Nations of the Grand River is the closest Haudenosaunee territory (Haldimand Tract). The University of Guelph resides on the traditional hunting territory of the people of the Six Nations of the Grand River through the Nanfan Treaty. Haudenosaunee Peoples refer to the members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and include the Six Nations: Seneca, Cayuga, Tuscarora, Onondaga, Oneida and Mohawk nations.
All University of Guelph campuses are also situated within the Dish With One Spoon territory, which is an agreement, a covenant, a wampum, and way of life that is upheld through three tenets: take only what you need, leave some for those after you, and to keep the dish clean.
For more information on land acknowledgements visit: uoguelph.ca/landacknowledgement
Avoid Biased Language
Avoid paternalistic language that effectively removes agency from Indigenous Peoples. Instead of, “The Numbered Treaties provided First Nations with reserves, education and health care,” write, “First Nations negotiated the Numbered Treaties with Canada’s government to secure their rights, territories, education and health care.”
Consider the difference between demanding something or asserting something. For example, “The Nisga’a spent a century demanding title to their traditional territory.” It is an Indigenous right they always had. Instead, “The Nisga’a spent a century asserting Indigenous title to their traditional territory.”
Use language that recognizes resilience and agency rather than pessimistic language that conveys subtle bias. This is otherwise known as a strength-based approach versus a disadvantage-based approach. Not, “Indigenous Peoples struggle with the legacy of the residential school system.” Instead, “Indigenous Peoples acknowledge the legacy of the residential school system and the importance of appropriate compensation and apology from the Canadian government.”
Strive to use inclusive language consistently. A word that excludes others remains exclusive regardless of your perception. Language evolves over time, so it is crucial to be mindful of these changes, respect how individuals self-identify, and stay informed about language relevant to your subject matter.
