This guide serves as an introduction to some of the library resources, as well as governmental and public information sources available to students and researchers looking for information on Aboriginal topics.  The guide includes materials written by, about, and for people of Aboriginal, Métis, Inuit and non-Aboriginal backgrounds and cultures. 

Terminology 

• Indians of North America - the standard subject heading still used by libraries when cataloguing books and other library items

• Native peoples, Native Canadians

• First peoples

• Aboriginal peoples - popularized in Australia, and frequently used in British Columbia

• Indigenous peoples - popularized by international organizations and generally used in an international context

• First Nations / Inuit / Metis - legal designations for separate, distinct Indigenous groups within Canada

Indigenous peoples are often identified by anglicized names for specific nations or bands (ex. Iroquois, Huron), linguistic or cultural groups (ex. Prairie or Woodlands tribes), or by their traditional names (ex. Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee). 

Helpful links:

• For a list and description of common nations and cultural groups in Canada, see Historica Canada > Aboriginal Peoples.

• National Aboriginal Health Organization Terminology Guidelines
  A document to define terms describing or relating to Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.

• SABAR: Key Terminology Guidebook for Reporting on Aboriginal Topics
  From Strategic Alliance of Broadcasters for Aboriginal Reflection.