Are First Nations people Canadians?

First Nations people are descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada who lived here for many thousands of years before explorers arrived from Europe. read more

First Nations people identify themselves by the nation to which they belong, for example, Mohawk, Cree, Oneida, and so on. "Aboriginal" is a term that includes First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. In the 2011 National Household Survey, there were 1,836,035 people in Canada who reported having Aboriginal ancestry. read more

In Canada, the First Nations (French: Premières Nations) are the predominant indigenous peoples in Canada south of the Arctic Circle. Those in the Arctic area are distinct and known as Inuit. The Métis, another distinct ethnicity, developed after European contact and relations primarily between First Nations people and Europeans. read more

There are some excellent answers to this question. There are 640+ First Nations in Canada, and each has their own view of their relationship with Canada as First Nations and as Canadians. Alan Cairns, a noteworthy and distinguished Canadian political scientist writes that the First Nations are Citizens Plus. read more