Discover How Indigenous Peoples Built Their Communities

Long before settlers came, Indigenous peoples lived all across Canada. You can learn about First Peoples History to understand how these communities grew and changed over thousands of years.

Each group had its own language, food, and way of living. What made each community different was their land and culture.

Indigenous peoples built homes that matched where they lived. You will discover many kinds of homes when you explore First Peoples Ways of Life.

• Longhouses were large homes where many families lived together. Coastal peoples like the Haida and Haudenosaunee built them from cedar wood.
• Tipis were made from animal hides and poles. Plains peoples used tipis because they could be moved easily to follow bison herds.
• Igloos were built from packed snow blocks. Inuit peoples in the cold Arctic built igloos to stay warm in winter.
• Pit houses were dug into the ground to stay warm. Interior peoples like the Secwépemc used pit houses during cold winters.
• Plank houses were built from cedar wood by coastal communities along the Pacific Coast.

Different groups found food in different ways. Coastal peoples like the Haida caught fish and sea animals from the ocean. Interior peoples like the Secwépemc hunted deer and other land animals.

Plains peoples hunted bison, which gave them food, clothing, and tools. Communities worked together to find and share food with everyone.

Women gathered berries, roots, and plants for food and medicine. You can learn more about food traditions by exploring Cultural Foods and Traditional Dress Across Societies.

Everyone in an Indigenous community had an important job. Here are some key roles you will learn about:

• Hunters found animals for food.
• Fishers caught fish from rivers and along the coast.
• Gatherers collected plants, berries, and roots to feed the community.
• Elders shared wisdom, stories, and rules with younger people.
• Chiefs led many communities and helped make important decisions.
• Medicine persons were healers who helped sick community members using traditional knowledge.

Elders were very respected. They taught children skills and old stories so that culture was passed on. You can explore more about these roles in Cultural Customs and Traditions.

Indigenous communities had special ceremonies to celebrate and share. A potlatch is a ceremony where West Coast Indigenous peoples share gifts and celebrate together. It is a ceremony of generosity.

Totem poles were carved by coastal peoples to tell the stories and history of families and clans. Drums were used in ceremonies for music and prayer. You can learn more in Cultural Expression Art Music Traditions and Holidays.

Indigenous communities passed on their culture through songs and stories. Elders told oral stories to children so that history and values were remembered. You can explore this further in First Peoples Oral Histories.

This way of sharing knowledge is called oral tradition. Books and writing were not the traditional way of passing on culture.

Indigenous peoples: You use this word to name the people who lived in Canada for thousands of years before settlers arrived, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.

Longhouse: A longhouse is a large home where many families lived together. Coastal peoples like the Haida and Haudenosaunee built longhouses from cedar wood.

Tipi: A tipi is a home made from animal hides stretched over wooden poles. Plains peoples used tipis because they could be moved easily when following bison herds.

Igloo: An igloo is a home built from packed snow blocks. Inuit peoples in the Arctic built igloos to stay warm during cold winters.

Pit house: A pit house is a home dug into the ground to stay warm. Interior peoples like the Secwépemc used pit houses in cold weather.

Plank house: A plank house is a home built from cedar wood by coastal communities along the Pacific Coast of British Columbia.

Elder: An elder is a respected older person in the community who teaches children stories, rules, and ways to live.

Chief: A chief is a leader of an Indigenous community who helps make important decisions for the group.

Hunter: A hunter is a person who finds and catches animals to feed the community.

Fisher: A fisher is a person who catches fish from rivers and along the coast to feed the community.

Gatherer: A gatherer is a person who collects plants, berries, and roots to feed the community.

Clan: A clan is a large group of related family members who belong together and share an ancestor or a symbol like an animal.

Potlatch: A potlatch is a special ceremony where West Coast Indigenous peoples share gifts and celebrate together. It is a ceremony of generosity.

Totem pole: A totem pole is a carved wooden pole made by coastal Indigenous peoples to tell the stories and history of families and clans.

Canoe: A canoe is a boat used by many Indigenous peoples to travel on rivers and lakes.

Kayak: A kayak is a small boat used by Inuit hunters to hunt seals and other animals in Arctic waters.

Bison: A bison is a large animal that Plains peoples hunted for food, clothing, and tools. Plains peoples followed bison herds across the prairies.

Oral stories: Oral stories are spoken stories passed from elders to children to share history, values, and skills. This is how Indigenous communities passed on their culture.

Métis: The Métis are a group of people in Canada who have both Indigenous and European ancestors. They have their own unique culture and traditions.

Medicine person: A medicine person is a respected healer in the community who helps sick people using traditional knowledge and plants.

Birchbark: Birchbark is the outer covering of a birch tree. Many Indigenous peoples used birchbark to build lightweight canoes and to make baskets and containers.

Drum: A drum is a sacred instrument used in many Indigenous ceremonies for music, singing, and spiritual prayer.

You can practice by thinking about how different Indigenous groups lived in different places. Ask yourself: What did they eat? What kind of home did they live in? Who were the leaders?

You can also explore Cultural Celebrations Festivals Holidays and Events to learn about special ceremonies like the potlatch.

You already learned about First Peoples Oral Histories and how stories were passed down. You also explored Cultural Characteristics Language Family Origins Food and Dress to understand how different groups have their own special ways of life.

You learned about Canadian Heritage Immigration First Peoples Histories and Family Narratives and Global Cultural Celebrations Christmas Lunar New Year and First Peoples Traditions to help you understand how cultures are different and special.

This topic connects to many other things you will learn. You can explore First Peoples Ways of Life to learn more about how Indigenous peoples lived every day. You can also visit Cultural Customs and Traditions to see how traditions were kept alive.

You will find connections to Diversity Within Communities and Ways People Express Culture as you learn how each group showed their culture in special ways.

You can explore Community Development Founding Business Changes and Construction Milestones and Population Shifts Growth and Decline in Communities to see how communities grew and changed over time.

You will also connect to Changes in Community Life, How Communities Change, and Family and Community History as you learn how communities developed.

You can visit Using Historical Sources, Understanding Evidence, Sequencing Events, and Different Points of View to practice thinking like a historian.

You will also explore Coming to the Community, Sharing Between Cultures, and Community Languages Multilingual Diversity to understand how communities share and grow together.

After this topic, you will be ready for First Peoples Traditions, Early Contact History, Cultural Diversity in Communities, Cultural Aspects Language Traditions Arts and Food, Maintaining Traditions, and Learning from the Past.