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Canada's peoples
- Canada includes Indigenous peoples, including First Nations, Inuit, and Metis, as well as people from many cultural backgrounds.
- English and French are Canada's official languages and are important to the country's history and institutions.
- Diversity is part of Canada's identity, and citizens are expected to respect different cultures and beliefs.
- The guide describes Canada's founding peoples as Indigenous, French, and British, while also recognizing later immigration from around the world.
- Canada's constitutional tradition and institutions are tied to the idea of Peace, Order and Good Government.
Shared values
- Canadian society values democracy, the rule of law, equality, freedom, and respect for human dignity.
- Multiculturalism recognizes that Canadians can keep cultural traditions while participating in shared civic life.
- Understanding Indigenous histories and rights is important for understanding Canada today.
- Unity in diversity means people can contribute their own traditions while sharing loyalty to Canada.
- Hard work, enterprise, fair play, ordered liberty, and respect for pluralism are recurring civic values in the guide.
Indigenous peoples
- First Nations, Inuit, and Metis are distinct Indigenous peoples with different histories, cultures, languages, and communities.
- First Nations people live both on reserve lands and in towns and cities; Inuit communities are spread across the Arctic; many Metis communities are rooted in the Prairies.
- Indigenous and treaty rights are recognized in the Constitution, and the Royal Proclamation of 1763 helped establish the basis for treaty-making.
- Residential schools harmed Indigenous children, families, languages, and cultures; the federal government formally apologized to former students in 2008.
English, French, and diversity
- Most Francophones live in Quebec, but French-speaking communities also exist in Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and other provinces.
- New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province.
- Acadians are descendants of early French colonists in the Maritimes and survived the Great Upheaval.
- Quebecers maintain a distinct French-speaking identity, while English-speaking Quebecers also have a long heritage in the province.
Founding peoples and identity
- Indigenous peoples were already established across the land before European explorers and settlers arrived.
- French-speaking and English-speaking communities shaped Canada's language, legal, religious, and political traditions.
- The guide presents Canada as a country that combines historic traditions with immigration and multicultural contribution.
- Peace, Order and Good Government is a key phrase connected to Canada's constitutional tradition.
Terms to know
- First Nations is commonly used for Indigenous peoples who are not Inuit or Metis.
- Inuit means the people in Inuktitut, and Inuit communities are mainly across the Arctic.
- Metis people have mixed Indigenous and European ancestry and a distinct culture, history, and language tradition.
- Anglophone means someone whose first language is English; Francophone means someone whose first language is French.
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Sample Questions
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Question 1 of 5
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What are Canada's two official languages?