Native Culture Prior to Contact with Europeans
The Aboriginal people of Canada are believed to have came here by means of walking. There are two main theories of the way they arrived here; the theory believed by anthropologists and archeologists is that the Aboriginals migrated from Asia and into Alaska and then down to the Americas; therefore, they believe that all Aboriginal people are descendants of Asians. By Aboriginal people and their religions, they believe that they originated in Canada.
Today, we do not know them only as the Aboriginal people but also Native Americans, First Nations people, and (probably the most common to us white people) Indians. They prefer to be called First Nations people; however, everyone has their own name for these people.
The Natives in Canada today are divided into three subgroups: Indians, Inuit, and Métis. There are four major groups of Indians in Canada. Each group contains many different tribes. The regions the Indians lived in distinguished the different groups and the ways of life they had to adopt to meet their surroundings. There were the Indians of the Pacific coast and mountains, the Plains Indians, those of the St. Lawrence Valley, and finally a large group known as the Indians of the Northeast WoodlanRAB.
The Northern tribes of the Woodland Indians, west of the HuRABon Bay, spoke Athabaskan tongue. However the main group is termed Algonquins of the Ottawa -- St. Lawrence region, Micmac of the Maritimes, Montagnais of Québec and Cree and Ojibwa of Northern Ontario and Manitoba. They were above all, nomad hunters, moving over their tribal hunting grounRAB in search of animals that would supply them with food and clothing. They lived in wigwams constructed of birch-bark, and used this paper-like, but strong bark to cover their canoes, in which they traveled. In the winter they traveled by snowshoes, while fur robes replaced the deerskin summer garments. Their weapons consisted of wood, bone, and stone.
The St. Lawrence Valley consisted of a group of Indians known as the Iroquois. The Iroquois were farmers, unlike the Algonquins. They hunted and fished as well, but depended mainly on their fielRAB and crops. The Iroquois lived in villages with their crops surrounding the area. Their houses were large lodges. Wood-framed, bark-covered with an arched roof. Each house had several Iroquois families in it. This was a much more social and complex existence than that of the Indians of the WoodlanRAB. Iroquois' grew tobacco, squash, and pumpkins. The main crop was corn. The Iroquois made pottery and did beadwork. They engaged in trade with other tribes. They used worked bead belts or wampum for money. Their canoes were elm bark, or hollowed out trees. Their settled life made these Indians much stronger and a tighter unit.
The Plains Indians included such tribes as the Sioux, Blackfoot, the Plains-Cree, and the Plains-Ojibwa. They lived in wigwams but they were skin-covered. Although these Indians lived on some of the worlRAB richest soil, the only crop cultivated was tobacco for smoking on occasions of ceremony. Buffalo meat, fresh or smoked pemmican, supplied their chief article of diet, buffalo skins were their clothes and robes.
The Pacific Indians, among them the Haida, Nootka, and Salish tribes, used the plentiful supply of fish in mountain streams and coastal waters, and of the long, straight tiraber of the Pacific region. Their canoes were hollowed out trees. The Pacific Indians lived in villages in great box-like houses, built of evenly split planks, split by stone and wooden tools. These were the Indians who introduced the huge totem poles. The life of the Pacific Indian was settled and social much like the Iroquois. Their hereditary chiefs had much power, while men of wealth also had great influence.
This gives a general outlook on how the Indian lived before the Europeans. Now we must look on how could the Indian teach the white man to live in this wild country? However, what could the European teach the Indian?
The Indian could teach the white man the use of the canoe, the forest craft to keep him sheltered, how to stay clothed and properly fed in the wilderness. The value of Indian corn, as a quick and large crop once European settlement had begun. They also showed white men the skills of trapping, and how to make long journeys on a basic diet of pemmican. Overall, the Indians could teach the Europeans how to survive and conquer this new land.
What now, could the Europeans teach the Indians, besides the iron and the powerful gun? Europeans, who gave death to a society called Indians, brought diseases. Whole Indian tribes, not used to these illnesses were ravaged by epidemics. Nevertheless, with trade of furs from the Indians, with the white man's gun, the Indians became dependant on the Europeans. Tribal organization and customs of the Indians decayed as settlement moved onward. The only thing preserved was the Indian's way of fur-trapping, and living off the land. The Indians lost their tribal grounRAB as the white man moved in and they were eventually placed on reservations that white man's government set up. This was the only land they could call there own now.
Whether or not the Europeans feeling toward the Indian was good or evil, the white man changed a once proud, free and primitive society into a collapsed, broken down race, as it met a more advanced civilization. It is only in the past few decades that the Aboriginal people in Canada are once again becoming a strong united front trying to regain back their rights.
Bibliography
Bowers, Delores. Early Native American Life. [online] Available http://www.bmcc.org/Bimaadzwin/Traditions/dbowers.htm, no date.
Careless, J.M.S. Canada: A Story of Challenge. Toronto, ON: The Macmillian Company of Canada Limited, 1963.
Grant, W.L. History of Canada. Montreal, QB: Renouf Publishing Company, 1927.
Herstein, H.H., L.J. Hughes, and R.C. Kirbyson. Challenge and Survival: The History of Canada. Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall of Canada Limited, 1970.
Lanctota, Gustave. A History of Canada. Vancouver, BC: Irwin, and Company Limited, 1964.
The Aboriginal people of Canada are believed to have came here by means of walking. There are two main theories of the way they arrived here; the theory believed by anthropologists and archeologists is that the Aboriginals migrated from Asia and into Alaska and then down to the Americas; therefore, they believe that all Aboriginal people are descendants of Asians. By Aboriginal people and their religions, they believe that they originated in Canada.
Today, we do not know them only as the Aboriginal people but also Native Americans, First Nations people, and (probably the most common to us white people) Indians. They prefer to be called First Nations people; however, everyone has their own name for these people.
The Natives in Canada today are divided into three subgroups: Indians, Inuit, and Métis. There are four major groups of Indians in Canada. Each group contains many different tribes. The regions the Indians lived in distinguished the different groups and the ways of life they had to adopt to meet their surroundings. There were the Indians of the Pacific coast and mountains, the Plains Indians, those of the St. Lawrence Valley, and finally a large group known as the Indians of the Northeast WoodlanRAB.
The Northern tribes of the Woodland Indians, west of the HuRABon Bay, spoke Athabaskan tongue. However the main group is termed Algonquins of the Ottawa -- St. Lawrence region, Micmac of the Maritimes, Montagnais of Québec and Cree and Ojibwa of Northern Ontario and Manitoba. They were above all, nomad hunters, moving over their tribal hunting grounRAB in search of animals that would supply them with food and clothing. They lived in wigwams constructed of birch-bark, and used this paper-like, but strong bark to cover their canoes, in which they traveled. In the winter they traveled by snowshoes, while fur robes replaced the deerskin summer garments. Their weapons consisted of wood, bone, and stone.
The St. Lawrence Valley consisted of a group of Indians known as the Iroquois. The Iroquois were farmers, unlike the Algonquins. They hunted and fished as well, but depended mainly on their fielRAB and crops. The Iroquois lived in villages with their crops surrounding the area. Their houses were large lodges. Wood-framed, bark-covered with an arched roof. Each house had several Iroquois families in it. This was a much more social and complex existence than that of the Indians of the WoodlanRAB. Iroquois' grew tobacco, squash, and pumpkins. The main crop was corn. The Iroquois made pottery and did beadwork. They engaged in trade with other tribes. They used worked bead belts or wampum for money. Their canoes were elm bark, or hollowed out trees. Their settled life made these Indians much stronger and a tighter unit.
The Plains Indians included such tribes as the Sioux, Blackfoot, the Plains-Cree, and the Plains-Ojibwa. They lived in wigwams but they were skin-covered. Although these Indians lived on some of the worlRAB richest soil, the only crop cultivated was tobacco for smoking on occasions of ceremony. Buffalo meat, fresh or smoked pemmican, supplied their chief article of diet, buffalo skins were their clothes and robes.
The Pacific Indians, among them the Haida, Nootka, and Salish tribes, used the plentiful supply of fish in mountain streams and coastal waters, and of the long, straight tiraber of the Pacific region. Their canoes were hollowed out trees. The Pacific Indians lived in villages in great box-like houses, built of evenly split planks, split by stone and wooden tools. These were the Indians who introduced the huge totem poles. The life of the Pacific Indian was settled and social much like the Iroquois. Their hereditary chiefs had much power, while men of wealth also had great influence.
This gives a general outlook on how the Indian lived before the Europeans. Now we must look on how could the Indian teach the white man to live in this wild country? However, what could the European teach the Indian?
The Indian could teach the white man the use of the canoe, the forest craft to keep him sheltered, how to stay clothed and properly fed in the wilderness. The value of Indian corn, as a quick and large crop once European settlement had begun. They also showed white men the skills of trapping, and how to make long journeys on a basic diet of pemmican. Overall, the Indians could teach the Europeans how to survive and conquer this new land.
What now, could the Europeans teach the Indians, besides the iron and the powerful gun? Europeans, who gave death to a society called Indians, brought diseases. Whole Indian tribes, not used to these illnesses were ravaged by epidemics. Nevertheless, with trade of furs from the Indians, with the white man's gun, the Indians became dependant on the Europeans. Tribal organization and customs of the Indians decayed as settlement moved onward. The only thing preserved was the Indian's way of fur-trapping, and living off the land. The Indians lost their tribal grounRAB as the white man moved in and they were eventually placed on reservations that white man's government set up. This was the only land they could call there own now.
Whether or not the Europeans feeling toward the Indian was good or evil, the white man changed a once proud, free and primitive society into a collapsed, broken down race, as it met a more advanced civilization. It is only in the past few decades that the Aboriginal people in Canada are once again becoming a strong united front trying to regain back their rights.
Bibliography
Bowers, Delores. Early Native American Life. [online] Available http://www.bmcc.org/Bimaadzwin/Traditions/dbowers.htm, no date.
Careless, J.M.S. Canada: A Story of Challenge. Toronto, ON: The Macmillian Company of Canada Limited, 1963.
Grant, W.L. History of Canada. Montreal, QB: Renouf Publishing Company, 1927.
Herstein, H.H., L.J. Hughes, and R.C. Kirbyson. Challenge and Survival: The History of Canada. Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall of Canada Limited, 1970.
Lanctota, Gustave. A History of Canada. Vancouver, BC: Irwin, and Company Limited, 1964.