Many Ask: What's the Difference Between First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples?(Submitted by Faye Beauchamp, Indigenous Liaison)
In Canada, there are three constitutionally recognized Indigenous peoples: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Each has its own history, culture, and relationship to the land.
First Nations
First Nations are Indigenous peoples who are not Inuit or Métis.
- They are made up of many distinct Nations, each with its own languages, cultures, laws, and territories (e.g., Cree, Dene, Blackfoot, Anishinaabe, etc.).
- Many First Nations are connected to specific reserves and have treaties with the Crown. Treaties are agreements between First Nations and the Canadian Government. First Nations agreed to share the land, and the Government promised support and protection. Treaties often include land use agreements; monthly or yearly payments; help with education and health; and the right to hunt and fish. Treaties are not the same for every Nation.
- Some First Nations people are registered under the Indian Act and are often referred to as “Status”; those who are not are referred to as “non-Status”.
- Identity is tied to Nationhood, community, and ancestral land.
Métis
Métis people are distinct Indigenous peoples, not simply “mixed ancestry.”
- Métis Nationhood emerged in the 1700s–1800s, primarily from unions between First Nations women and European (often French or Scottish) fur traders.
- Over time, Métis people formed their own culture, language (Michif), governance, and collective identity, especially in the Prairies and Red River region.
- Métis are recognized as a separate Indigenous people under section 35 of the Canadian Constitution.
- There are eight Métis Settlements in Alberta, located primarily in the east-central and northern areas of the province.
- Métis identity is based on ancestral connection with Métis communities and acceptance by the Métis Nation—not just family history.
- Scrip is different from Treaties and is connected to the Metis people. The Government gave Métis people paper certificates which represented land or money. Scrip was used instead of treaties. Many people were tricked or pressured into selling their scrip, and this caused Métis families to lose land. Scrip did not protect Métis rights like Treaties were meant to do.
Inuit
Inuit are not First Nations and not Métis. Inuit are a distinct Indigenous people whose homelands are in the Arctic regions of Canada, known collectively as Inuit Nunangat: Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador).
- Inuit have their own languages (Inuktut/Inuktitut and related dialects), culture, knowledge systems, and governance.
- Inuit life and culture are deeply connected to the Arctic environment, including sea ice, wildlife, and seasonal cycles.
- Inuit are not governed by the Indian Act. Instead, their rights are largely defined through modern land claim agreements.
- Inuit identity is based on community, culture, and ancestry, not mixed heritage.
- Inuit have land claim agreements.
First Nations:
Many distinct Nations across Canada, each with its own cultures, languages, territories, and (often) treaties. First Nations individuals who are registered under the Indian Act are subject to its provisions; Métis and Inuit are not.
Métis:
A distinct people with shared nationality that emerged during the fur trade, with a unique culture and history. Métis culture (e.g. jigging, sash, Michif) is unique and not interchangeable with First Nations cultures.
Inuit:
Indigenous peoples of the Arctic, with cultures and languages shaped by northern lands and waters.
Important to Remember:
Neither group is “more” or “less” Indigenous than the other.
Métis people are not “half” or “mixed” First Nations—they are a people in their own right.
Identity is about community, history, and lived relationships.