First Nations
/ˌfɜːrst ˈneɪʃənz/noun
A collective term commonly used in Canada for Indigenous peoples and communities other than Inuit and Métis.
Did you know?In Canada, “First Nations” became widely used during the 1970s as an alternative to the colonial term “Indian,” though individual nations often prefer their own traditional names.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“To beget, give birth, or come into being—the ancestral root behind “nation” and related words such as “native” and “nature”.”
Classical Latin
Latin
nātiō
“A birth, people, tribe, or nation; literally a group defined through birth or origin.”
Old French
Old French
nacion
“A people, nation, or population sharing an origin.”
Middle English
English
nacioun
“A people or country united by origin, language, or political identity.”
Old English
Old English
fyrst
“The earliest in time, order, or rank; the source of modern “first.””
1970s
Canadian English
First Nation
“A term adopted increasingly by Indigenous peoples in Canada to refer to an Indigenous community or polity, replacing colonial terminology in many contexts.”
Modern English
Canadian English
First Nations
“The established plural collective term for many Indigenous peoples and communities in Canada, generally excluding Inuit and Métis.”