The First Nations geographic location dataset contains the geographic location of First Nations (groups and subgroups) in Canada as points as well as basic attributes data. The location identifies where the First Nations live. Each First Nation point represents its administrative office address as it is registered in Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Band Governance Management System (BGMS). When the First Nation administrative office is located outside its associated most populated reserve boundary, adjustments are made to relocate the point within its boundaries, otherwise within the boundaries of another associated reserve or the city where the administrative office is located. When the administrative office or the First Nation is impossible to locate, the location is based on the best available information on the First Nation (e.g. official First Nation Web site). A connection with the BGMS is in place to ensure that any update to the system is reflected in the attributes data associated with the location of each First Nation. This dataset is Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) official source for First Nation geographic location on maps.

Contained within the 1st Edition (1906) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the distribution of 11 aboriginal groups of Canada, Alaska and Greenland. The areas shown in different colours represent occupied land by the native linguistic families, including uninhabited large areas in the Arctic islands and Greenland. The southern portion of Canada, the Indians are living on reserves. The other points indicated are small reminants of the once powerful Huron-Iroquois at Jeune Lorette, two small bands of Iroquois near Edmonton and on the head waters of the Athabaska river. There are a greater number of linguistic families on the Pacific coast of British Columbia than in all the rest of Canada.

The Aboriginal Lands of Canada Legislative Boundaries web service includes legislative boundaries of Indian Reserves, Land Claim Settlement Lands (lands created under Comprehensive Land Claims Process that do not or will not have Indian Reserve status under the Indian Act) and Indian Lands. More specifically it includes the following lands: 1) Indian Reserves that include: 1.1) surrendered lands or a reserve, as defined in the Indian Act (this definition excludes Indian Settlements and Indian Communities); and 1.2) Sechelt lands, as defined in the Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act, chapter 27 of the Statutes of Canada, 1986; 2) Land Claim Settlement Lands that include: 2.1) Category IA land or Category IA-N land, as defined in the Cree-Naskapi (of Quebec) Act, chapter 18 of the Statutes of Canada, 1984 (category 1B and category II Lands are excluded from this definition); 2.2) Settlement land, as defined in the Yukon First Nations Self-Government Act, and lands in which an interest is transferred or recognized under section 21 of that Act (only Yukon First Nations Settlement Lands, which were surveyed and the survey plan recorded, are included in the map service); 2.3) Inuit Owned Lands as defined in the Agreement between the Inuit of the Nunavut Settlement Area and Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada given effect and declared valid by the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act (it includes all parcels that have been surveyed and those that do not require a survey (this includes the islands)); 2.4) Gwich’in Lands as defined in the Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, given effect and declared valid by the Gwich’in Land Claim Settlement Act; 2.5) Inuvialuit Lands as defined in the Western Arctic (Inuvialuit) Claims Settlement Act; 2.6) Sahtu Lands as defined in The Sahtu Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement given effect and declared valid by the Sahtu Dene and Métis Land Claim Settlement Act; and 2.7) Tlicho lands, as defined in the Tlicho Agreement, given effect and declared valid by the Tlicho Land Claims and Self-Government Act; 3) Indian Lands that include: 3.1) Lands in the Kanesatake Mohawk interim land base, as defined in the Kanesatake Mohawk Interim Land Base Governance Act, other than the lands known as Doncaster Reserve No. 17. The data available for download is the former Geobase-Aboriginal Lands product. There are some attribute differences between the data available for download and the web service; however both contain the same underlying data. Please refer to the Supporting Documents for additional information on the Geobase - Aboriginal Lands dataset. Work is under way to align these two data products.

The Aboriginal Lands data consists of polygon entities that depict the administrative boundaries (extent) of lands where the title has been vested in specific Aboriginal Groups of Canada or lands which were set aside for their exclusive benefit.

These include Indian Reserves, Land Claim Settlement Lands and Indian Land. Please note that this layer uses the term "Aboriginal" as its source is the Canadian Government web page.

Contained within the 2nd Edition (1915) of the Atlas of Canad, is a map that shows the distribution of 11 aboriginal groups of Canada, Alaska and Greenland, circa 1915. The areas shown in different colours represent land occupied by the native linguistic families. There are a greater number of linguistic families on the Pacific coast of British Columbia than in all the rest of Canada. Major railway systems are shown.

The map shows the distribution of Aboriginal peoples early in the seventeenth century before the eastern population dislocations. Ethnohistorical societies are identified on the map by the major linguistic family to which they belong. Ethnohistorical societies are Aboriginal peoples that were known by name and location to Europeans early in the seventeenth century. Also mapped are the major archaeological sites current to 1980. A linguistic family code identifies each ethnohistorical society on the map and is used to reference specific information for each ethnohistorical society (refer to the Atlas of Canada's 5th Edition map Native Peoples 1630 for the information).

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a map comprised of two condensed maps showing Aboriginal population. The main map shows an attempt to depict the Aboriginal ethnic and linguistic situation as it existed when the various Aboriginal peoples were first met by Europeans. It is based on a similar map which accompanied Bulletin 65 of the National museum of Canada - Indians of Canada by Diamond Jeness, first published in 1932. As Canada was first explored almost wholly in an east to west direction, the time of first European contact varies from place to place. Europeans met the Aboriginal peoples of the Labrador coast as early as the eleventh century A.D., while, on the other hand, many tribes in the far west and north-west remained unknown until late in the nineteenth century A.D. It must also be understood that this map is valid only for a limited period of time before and after the first European contact in any area. The fact that a given tribe was found in a certain area in 1600 A.D., for example, is no basis for assuming that it was there several centuries earlier. Of the groups shown, the Beothuk, Tsetsaut and Nicola are now extinct. The small scale inset map and graph that accompany the main map give a general picture of the distribution of Canada's Aboriginal population in 1951.

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a map comprised of two condensed maps showing Aboriginal population. The main map shows an attempt to depict the Aboriginal ethnic and linguistic situation as it existed when the various Aboriginal peoples were first met by Europeans. It is based on a similar map which accompanied Bulletin 65 of the National museum of Canada - Indians of Canada by Diamond Jeness, first published in 1932. As Canada was first explored almost wholly in an east to west direction, the time of first European contact varies from place to place. Europeans met the Aboriginal peoples of the Labrador coast as early as the eleventh century A.D., while, on the other hand, many tribes in the far west and north-west remained unknown until late in the nineteenth century A.D. It must also be understood that this map is valid only for a limited period of time before and after the first European contact in any area. The fact that a given tribe was found in a certain area in 1600 A.D., for example, is no basis for assuming that it was there several centuries earlier. Of the groups shown, the Beothuk, Tsetsaut and Nicola are now extinct. The small scale inset map and graph that accompany the main map give a general picture of the distribution of Canada's Aboriginal population in 1951.

Indian reserve map (managed forest code 32) used in the Story Map of Forest Management in Canada, 2017.Indian Reserve lands were identified using the Geobase Aboriginal Lands of Canada geodatabase. The Indian Act defines these as federal Crown lands that have been “set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band”.Source: This web map shows the Indian Reserve lands used in the map of forest management in Canada, 2017 and includes the following tiled layer:Indian Reserve (Managed Forest Code 32)Data provided by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry; British Columbia Ministry of Forests; Manitoba Sustainable Development; Natural Resources Canada; New Brunswick Department of Energy and Resource Development; Newfoundland & Labrador Department of Fisheries and Land Resources; Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Prince Edward Island Department of Communities, Land & Environment; Québec Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs; Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment; and Yukon Energy, Mines and Resources.

The aboriginal lands data set depicts the administrative boundaries (exterior limits) of lands where the title has been vested in specific aboriginal groups of Canada or lands which were set aside for their exclusive benefit. The aboriginal lands data set includes, but is not limited to, Indian Reserves, Cree-Naskapi Category 1A and 1A-N Lands, Yukon First Nation Settlement Lands, Kanesatake Mohawk Interim Land Base, the Inuit Owned Lands, Tlicho Lands, Inuvialuit Lands, Gwich’in Lands, and Sahtu Lands.

This map shows the distribution of Aboriginal peoples at the height of British rule when the Hudson's Bay Company dominated the fur trade. Ethnohistorical societies are identified on the map by the major linguistic family to which they belong. Ethnohistorical societies are Aboriginal peoples that were known by name and location to Europeans early in the nineteenth century. A linguistic family code identifies each ethnohistorical society on the map and is used to reference specific information for each ethnohistorical society (refer to the Atlas of Canada's 5th Edition map Native Peoples 1823 for the information).

This map shows the distribution of Aboriginal peoples early in the eighteenth century after a hundred years of Aboriginal-European contact at the time of the French Regime. Ethnohistorical societies are identified on the map by the major linguistic family to which they belong. Ethnohistorical societies are Aboriginal peoples that were known by name and location to Europeans early in the eighteenth century. A linguistic family code identifies each ethnohistorical society on the map and is used to reference specific information for each ethnohistorical society (refer to the Atlas of Canada's 5th Edition map Native Peoples 1740 for the information).

Identifies First Nation Reserve boundaries defined by the Legal Surveys Division of Natural Resources Canada.Additional DocumentationFirst Nation Reserve - Data Description (PDF)First Nation Reserve - Documentation (Word)Aboriginal Lands of Canada Legislative Boundaries - Canada Open Government PortalStatusOn going: Data is continually being updatedMaintenance and Update FrequencyIrregular: Data is updated in intervals that are uneven in durationContactOffice of the Surveyor General,landtenuremapping@ontario.ca

Religion by Indigenous identity, age and gender for the population in private households.

The current 50 languages of Canada's indigenous peoples belong to 11 major language families - ten First Nations and Inuktitut. Canada's Aboriginal languages are many and diverse, and their importance to indigenous people immense. This map shows the major aboriginal language families by community in Canada for the year 1996.

Aboriginal Lands

Data purpose: The purpose of this dataset is to provide a national coverage and promote the use of a common geometric representation for Aboriginal Lands in Canada. Data description: The Aboriginal Lands dataset consists of polygon entities that depict the administrative boundaries (extent) of lands where the title has been vested in specific Aboriginal Groups of Canada or lands which were set aside for their exclusive benefit. Update requirements: On an ad hoc basis as boundaries change Georeferencing: datum - NAD83(CSRS), map projection - Geographic, (EPSG 4617) Data coverage and size: Provincial Coverage Responsible Agency: Service New Brunswick

This map shows the distribution of the Aboriginal population (including Indians, Métis and Inuit) in comparison to the location of forests. More than a quarter of the Aboriginal population live in urban centres located outside the forested areas; however, nearly 80% of the Aboriginal communities are located in forested areas. Forests play an essential role in the lives of Aboriginal People.

The Index of Ability compares the number of people who report being able to speak the language with the number who have that Aboriginal language as a mother tongue. The index has been compiled and mapped for each of the Aboriginal communities shown in the map Aboriginal Languages by Community, 1996. Relatively higher values of this index may suggest some degree of language revival.

The Historic treaties (formerly known as the Pre-1975 treaties) dataset contains geographic boundaries as well as basic attribute data representing signed treaties that were negotiated between Indigenous peoples and the Crown between 1725 and 1929. However, the Treaties of Peace and Neutrality, signed between 1701 and 1760, are not represented in this dataset because they do not have geographic boundaries that can be represented on a map. Apart from the Peace and Friendship Treaties, these boundaries represent the historic treaties signed after 1763, which provided large areas of First Nations land, to the Crown (transferring their Aboriginal title to the Crown) in exchange for reserve lands and other benefits. The Government of Canada recognizes 70 historic treaties in Canada signed between 1701 and 1923. These treaties include: • Treaties of Peace and Neutrality (1701-1760) • Peace and Friendship Treaties (1725-1779) • Upper Canada Land Surrenders and the Williams Treaties (1764-1862/1923) • Robinson Treaties and Douglas Treaties (1850-1854) • The Numbered Treaties (1871-1921) These boundaries are usually not surveyed but help to delineate the broad area described within the treaty. The boundaries are composed of the sum of specific geographies such as lakes, rivers, townships, mountains, administrative boundaries or height of land as mentioned in the treaties transcript. These boundaries are estimated based on written descriptions and should be used for informational and representational purposes only. If there is no geographic description included in the treaty, illustrative polygons may be used to represent locations where the signatory nations, as modern-day collectives, assert and/or exercise Section 35 rights. For more information about Historic treaties, visit https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028574/1529354437231#chp3. The Historic treaties dataset is one of multiple datasets representing treaties and agreements between the Crown and Indigenous peoples. The Crown-Indigenous treaties and agreements geospatial datasets represent the geographic boundaries of the solemn agreements between the Crown and Indigenous peoples that set out promises, obligations and benefits for parties. The following datasets are also available: 1) The Modern treaties (formerly known as the Post-1975 treaties) dataset, which represents the areas of Canada where Indigenous land rights and title have not been addressed by preceding treaties or through other legal means. 2) The Indigenous agreements dataset, which represents established protocols in place for consultation processes, self-government agreements, and other signed agreements between Indigenous groups and the Crown which do not fall into the aforementioned categories. The Historic treaties dataset is Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)’s primary source for Historic treaties geographic boundaries on maps. This dataset can also be viewed in the Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Information System (ATRIS). This web-based system provides access to information to inform governments, industry and other interested parties in determining their consultation obligations and in carrying out their consultation research. For more information, visit https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100014686/1609421785838.

Canada’s First Peoples can be divided into six major cultural regions: the Arctic; Subarctic; Pacific North-west Coast; Plateau; Plains; and Eastern Woodlands.http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=first&sub=first_cultures_arctic&lang=En#