The native peoples of Canada evolved into distinct groups. By the time the Europeans began to arrive, there were a number of different tribes from the Beothuk of Newfoundland to the Haida of the west coast and the Inuit of the far north. Often the variations in lifestyle and culture grew out of the different environments in which the native peoples had to live. Some had tipis or wigwams covered in bark, for instance, while others, who lived in less treed areas, used skins or snow blocks to build shelter. There were also different language groups and different dialects within each language group. Most were quite nomadic, moving from place to place in search of food which they acquired by hunting and gathering. But some, like the Huron, were agricultural and tended to settle in one place for a longer period of time. All the first nations had strong spiritual beliefs and a definite system of social organization.

European contact brought a lot of drastic and irreversible changes to the native world. The Beothuk became completely extinct very early and we know little about them. Others diminished more slowly, but over time their culture and languages were almost lost or forgotten. Along with their loss of culture came a loss of pride which was compounded by cruel and insensitive treatment from successive white governments until the remaining native peoples found themselves in a state of poverty and despair.

Recently, however, native self-awareness and assertiveness have driven a revival of their culture and languages and increased their demands for self-government and economic self-sufficiency.

When Ron Irwin became Minister of Indian Affairs in 1993, his goal was to do away with the ministry, long a symbol of white control over native affairs. But ten years later, it still exists. There have been some gains - the creation of the self-governing territory of Nunavut in the far north and the negotiation of the Nisga'a Treaty in British Columbia, to name two. But clashes in the east coast fishery, continued treaty battles in B.C. and third-world conditions on many native reserves show that there is still work to be done.

Today there are over 1,000,000 Canadians who claim some native ancestry and over 400,000 who have official Indian status.