Inuit, Laurentian and First Nations Peoples

• The Inuit are the descendants of the Thule culture, which replaced the Dorset culture in the arctic regions
• The Dorset culture lacked dogs, larger weapons and other technologies used by the expanding Inuit society.
• Between 1300-1400, the Inuit settled in Greenland
• The Inuit had trade routes with more southern cultures.
  
  

  Laurentian Peoples
  

  
  
• Laurentian people of southern Ontario manufactured the oldest pottery excavated to date in Canada.
• Woodland technology included items such as beaver incisor knives, bangles, and chisels.
• Sedentary agricultural life continued to increase on a diet of squash, corn, and bean crops
• Established trade routes began across what is now Canada by 500 BCE–1,000 CE.
• As a result, communities developed each with its own culture, customs, and character
  
  

  Classification of Indigenous Peoples
  

• All Indigenous peoples in Canada can be divided into 6 cultural areas based on language
• These areas are: Arctic, Sub-Arctic, Northwest, Plateau, Plains and Eastern Woodlands
• Borders in North America do not reflect traditional lands.
• For example, the Mohawk Nation straddles both provincial (Québec and Ontario) and international (New York State) borders
• Contemporary Indigenous peoples may live far from their ancestral homelands, and indeed may form new communities rooted in urban centres rather than traditional lands.
• When considering contemporary situations, it is impossible to assume that one issue, set of beliefs, or cultural reference can relate to all Indigenous people in Canada