Canada’s First Nations People Similarities and Differences By: Zoe Gardner
Did you know Canada’s first nations people may have arrived in Canada at least 18,000 to 20,000 years ago? There were hundreds of tribes scattered all across Canada, all different with some similarities. The focus of this essay is to compare and contrast three different first nations peoples, the Inuit of the Canadian arctic, the Haida of the Canadian Pacific coast, and the Iroquois of the Great Lakes region.
The three native groups shared a general similarity in that they adapted their lives to live and thrive in their local environments. The Inuit, living in the barren, treeless northernmost part of Canada. The Haida, occupying a rainy temperate forest island off the Pacific coast. The Iroquois, inhabiting the woodland Great Lakes region. …show more content…
Since there is no vegetation in the arctic part of Canada the Inuit are mostly meat eaters, feeding off the arctic animals living there like narwhals, seals, walrus, caribou, and various other animals in that region. Living on a island off the Pacific coast the Haida were fishers and would gather edible vegetation in the temperate forest they call home. Occupying the Great Lakes region the Iroquois were farmers growing corn, beans, squash, and many other crops.
All groups needed to travel and move from place to place for their hunting and gathering needs. But each developed different modes of transportation specific for their environment. The Inuit built sleds pulled by dogs to help them get across the snow covered ground of the arctic. As an island tribe the Haida needed a water transportation strong enough for the strong ocean currents. The Iroquois living near water as well needed more of a lake canoe rather than a ocean canoe like the
Did you know Canada’s first nations people may have arrived in Canada at least 18,000 to 20,000 years ago? There were hundreds of tribes scattered all across Canada, all different with some similarities. The focus of this essay is to compare and contrast three different first nations peoples, the Inuit of the Canadian arctic, the Haida of the Canadian Pacific coast, and the Iroquois of the Great Lakes region.
The three native groups shared a general similarity in that they adapted their lives to live and thrive in their local environments. The Inuit, living in the barren, treeless northernmost part of Canada. The Haida, occupying a rainy temperate forest island off the Pacific coast. The Iroquois, inhabiting the woodland Great Lakes region. …show more content…
Since there is no vegetation in the arctic part of Canada the Inuit are mostly meat eaters, feeding off the arctic animals living there like narwhals, seals, walrus, caribou, and various other animals in that region. Living on a island off the Pacific coast the Haida were fishers and would gather edible vegetation in the temperate forest they call home. Occupying the Great Lakes region the Iroquois were farmers growing corn, beans, squash, and many other crops.
All groups needed to travel and move from place to place for their hunting and gathering needs. But each developed different modes of transportation specific for their environment. The Inuit built sleds pulled by dogs to help them get across the snow covered ground of the arctic. As an island tribe the Haida needed a water transportation strong enough for the strong ocean currents. The Iroquois living near water as well needed more of a lake canoe rather than a ocean canoe like the