First Nations

History of the First Nations

First Nations people have not seen themselves as a nation. However, they were identified as the first inhabitants of North America by the European explorers who migrated in the mid- to late 1800s to what later became known as North America. When Europeans settled in North America, trading occurred between the early settlers and the First Nations people. At that time, the governments of Canada and the United States designated reserved lands, to which the First Nations groups were relocated. These state-sanctioned lands were referred to as reservations (or reserves). This meant that First Nations people were given land, not of their choosing, to live together in colonies apart from the rest of the population. Many communities are still organized by this model.

Governing bodies were later developed, and First Nations people were allowed to vote as early as the 1920s in the United States, and in parts of Canada as late as the 1960s. Some First Nations communities were still hunters and gatherers when they [Page 419]encountered the European migrants. Some treaties still exist to provide special privileges to First Nations people to hunt and fish for food and cultural purposes.

Cultural Values and Traditions and Their Loss

Despite the diversity among First Nations groups, some cultural values are held in common. These values include respecting elders and maintaining connections with one's history or heritage. In addition, there has typically been an emphasis on the importance of caring for children, looking after extended family members, and nurturing respectful community relations. There is also an emphasis on spirituality, religion, and storytelling in First Nations cultures as ways of expressing values and teaching people how to interact respectfully. Many First Nations traditions link individual health with community wellness. Collective wellness is also linked to environmental well-being, as many First Nations people consider themselves the keepers of the earth and animals. In many First Nations cultures, time was understood as flowing and related to nature's seasons, moon cycles, and celebrations for community members at different life stages. Humor and fun are also important values in parenting and maintaining positive community relationships.

Expression of spiritual traditional ceremonies and medicinal elder ceremonies were illegal in much of North America until the late 1900s; some ceremonies are still illegal in certain locations. Compulsory education programs frequently separated children from their parents by taking children to residential schools in locations away from their communities.

These legal policies created a two-tiered North American society, which has had long-lasting effects often referred to by scholars as the colonization of First Nations peoples. Some of the negative results of colonization are losses of First Nations languages and cultural traditions, including food, traditional clothing, celebrations, and spiritual ceremonies. Other losses for First Nations people include health inequities and lack of educational and employment opportunities. These inequities have resulted in higher mortality rates for First Nations people in North America compared to the rest of the population. Life expectancy is shorter for First Nations people and has been linked to lack of access to healthy food and adequate medical care. Lack of equal opportunities for children and youth have also been linked to higher rates of youth suicide in First Nations communities. Higher poverty rates have been linked to colonization effects. Other losses that have occurred for First Nations people are the loss of oral history and indigenous knowledge. Generally, scholars agree that North American educational systems have promoted European values and culture over indigenous values, effectively projecting negative images of First Nations peoples.

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