This term began to be in common use in the 1970s and 1980s and generally replaced the term “Indian”, although unlike “Indian”, the term “First Nation” has no legal definition. The use of the word “Indian” is considered offensive by many First Nations. The word “Aboriginal” replaced “Indian” and “native”. Because there are more than 50 different indigenous nations in Canada, living in more than 600 communities, it can be difficult to find a single word that covers everything.
While the terminology used by the Government can be a good guide to understanding the differences between mixed-race, Inuit and First Nations (all of them included in the terms “aboriginal” or “indigenous”), the best guideline comes directly from indigenous peoples. It's a common misconception that people from Canada's First Nations don't pay federal or provincial taxes. The Potlatch is the cultural, political, economic and educational heart of the First Nations along the Northwest Coast. It is used synonymously with Aboriginal and, in many cases, is the preferred term as a collective name for First Nations, mixed race and Inuit.
The numbers vary widely by province, and Quebec has the highest proportion of First Nations people living on reservations, with nearly three-quarters of them. Some First Nations people in Canada also refer to themselves as “Indians”, and federal legislation is still called the Indian Act. By recognizing First Nations, Inuit, and Mestizos as indigenous peoples, the government recognizes their international legal right to offer or deny their consent to development under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Canada backed with conditions under then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Aboriginal peoples gained popularity as the correct collective name for First Nations, Inuit and mixed-race people, and was widely adopted by the government and many national groups.
In Canada, the accepted term for people who are indigenous and who do not identify themselves as Inuit or mixed race is First Nations. In Canada, there is a tendency to shudder when the term Indian is used, as it has been used as a racial insult against many generations of First Nations. By recognizing First Nations, Inuit and Mestizos as indigenous peoples, the government recognizes their international legal right to offer or deny their consent to development under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The term Indian should be used only when referring to a First Nations person with status under Indian Law, and only within a legal context.
It depends on which First Nation the student belongs to and whether the First Nation has funding for the student. Aboriginal peoples gained popularity as the correct collective name for First Nations, Inuit and mixed-race people, and was widely adopted by the government and many national groups.
