Ten years after the Government of Canada officially adopted the term “Indigenous” instead of “Aboriginal,” discussions persist on what terms best describe First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
“Throughout history, they haven’t figured out what they want to call us yet,” said Gladys Radek, a longtime activist for missing and murdered Indigenous people who is from Witset, a Wetʼsuwetʼen Nation village in B.C.
“Either ‘First Nations’ or ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Indian’… it wouldn’t surprise me if they changed it again a couple of years from now to something else.”
The issue of what term is appropriate to use was recently raised by a Business in Vancouver article that alleged the B.C. Conservatives had issued a directive to some MLAs to avoid using the term “First Nations.”
CBC Indigenous was unable to independently verify the allegation. B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynn Findlay has denied any such directive exists.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillips of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs said in a statement that respecting the choices of how different Indigenous people want to refer to themselves is about basic human rights.
“We have the inherent right to determine how we identify ourselves,” said Phillips in the statement.
“Many of our people have chosen to retain the term ‘Indian’ for political reasons, or use terms like ‘First Nations,’ ‘Indigenous,’ or the names of our own nations in our own languages.”
Institutional language shifts
Canada shifted to using the term “Indigenous” instead of “Aboriginal” in 2016, the year the federal government officially adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The federal government passed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in 2021.
Paul Chartrand, a retired law professor, said that while the terms “Indian” and “Aboriginal” were imposed on Indigenous people through laws, the term “Indigenous,” “continues the dominance of state power in influencing how people identify themselves.”
“It’s baffling to me why federal government and so many institutions adopt the term ‘Indigenous,'” said Chartrand, who is Michif from Manitoba.
“I never see an explanation of why using ‘Indigenous.’ That’s not the term used in the Constitution.”
Chartrand said the shifting terminology is confusing and “doesn’t serve the Aboriginal people, but it does serve [Canada’s] government purposes.”
“Changes are closely related to the relationship that exists and that existed for a very long time between the Aboriginal people in Canada on one hand and the state,” said Chartrand.
“The state has much more political clout, legal clout and so on and so it’s a very uneven relationship.”
In 1982, Section 35 in the Constitution Act recognized the Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, defined as the “Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples” in the country.
That same year, the Assembly of First Nations changed its name from the National Indian Brotherhood.
“If you’re referring to the people who have rights recognized in Canada, those are the Aboriginal people,” said Chartrand.
Indigenous ‘a friendlier term’
When it comes to the term “Indian,” Chartrand said outside of legislation, it’s a term better used exclusively within Indigenous communities.
“I believe it’s fairly well established that the term ‘Indian’ … that you don’t mean well when you’re using the term,” said Chartrand.
Clarence Louie, business man and chief of Osoyoos Indian Band, which is part of the Okanagan Nation in B.C., said he likes the term “Indian” as well as “First Nations.”
“That word ‘First Nation’ came from rez people, it didn’t come from the government,” said Louie.
“Some people love the word ‘Indian.’ Some people hate it… Native people are like every other race of people. We don’t have consensus or 100 per cent agreement on any term.”
Radek said she likens the term “Indians” to the term “savages.”
“I would say Indigenous because I’m Indigenous to this country, which is, you know, we belong to this land,” said Gladys.
“And, I don’t know, it just seems like a friendlier term than ‘Indian.'”
Radek, who has held walks aross the country advocating on behalf of MMIWG2S+, said it’s important for all people to reflect on their identity and what that means to them.
“What is a Canadian?” said Radek.
“That was a question that I asked when we were walking across this country, and you’d be surprised with how many different answers that I got for that one question.”
