Native Groups in Canadian Politics

This research examines the degree and nature of the influence of Aboriginal groups in the government of Canada. In Canada, the term First Nations refers to the aboriginal peoples who inhabited North America before occupation of the continent by Europeans. As an example, the Mohawk people refer to themselves as the Mohawk Nation. The terms Indians and Bands, by contrast, tend to reinforce the labels provided by others to Canada’s aboriginal peoples. Many issues are sources of conflict between the government of Canada and the aboriginal peoples in Canada. These issues, however, may be considered largely in the context of three broad areas of …