First Nations Terminology

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Contents

Terminology for First Nations
Terminology by Department of Indian and Northern Affairs
-- from their document:  Words First: An Evolving Terminology Relating to Aboriginal Peoples in Canada
Identifying Names of Groups
Subject Headings in the Library Catalogue
-- Aboriginal Australians and Aboriginal Tasmanians
-- Headings for Indian Tribes Recognized by the U.S. Government
Residential Schools

Terminology for First Nations

• Terminology to consider for finding material for First Nations people for either "keyword" or "subject" searching. Remember to use the "truncation" symbol, the "asterisk" (*), to find various endings of a particular word:

  • first nations or aborig* or indian* or metis or native* or indigen* or inuit* or innu or tribe* or tribal or indian band*
  • To limit it to "canada", add the geographic terms: canad* or bc or british columb*, etc.
     

Identifying Names of Groups

• Dictionary of the Chinook jargon as spoken on Puget Sound and the Northwest [microform] : with original Indian names for prominent places and localities with their meanings, historical sketch, etc. / CIHM no. 14807
• A guide to the Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest. /  E 78 N77 R79
• Tribal names of the Americas : spelling variants and alternative forms, cross-reference. / E 54.5 C55 2009

• Terms for names of nations or groups.  Be sure to try alternative spellings of names:
  

  • Search the Aboriginal Canada Portal site for names of Aboriginal Communities by province.

  • B.C Communities
    
  • Alberta Communities, etc.
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)
  • Search by First Nation - by geographic area
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta, etc.
  • Search by Tribal Council - by geographic area
  • Search by Reserve - by geographic area
  • Search by Political Organization
  • Also maps
    • British Columbia -- page two has Alphabetical list of names of First Nations of BC
    • Alberta First Nations, etc.
  • 
     
• Natural Resources Canada -- Native Names for Native Places
   
• List of "Native Tribes" from Canadian Encyclopedia, e.g.
  • Abenaki
  • Ahousaht (largest of the Nootka or Nuu-Chah-Nulth)
  • Bella Bella see Heiltsuk
  • Carrier or Athapaskan or Dene
  • Chickliset (part of Nootka)
  • Chilcotin
  • Clayoquot or Tla-o-qui-aht
  • Gitksan
  • Haida
  • Kootenay
  • Kwakiutl or kwakwakawakw
  • Nishga or Nisga'a
  • Opetchesaht
  • Salish
  • Tahltan
  • Tlingit
  • Tsimshian
  • etc.
     
• Use the terms from their "material culture" (terms from Canadian Encylcopedia).

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Subject headings in the Library Catalogue. 

Remember to limit your results by doing a sort by " newest first ".

• Canada Royal Commission On Aboriginal Peoples
•  
• Indian Art -- Canada
• Indian Children -- Canada
•  
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- 36 Related Subjects (this has names of peoples), e.g.
  
  • -- See Also the narrower term Bella Coola Indians
    
  • -- See Also the narrower term Gitksan Indians
    
  • -- See Also the narrower term Niska Indians , etc.
     
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Antiquities
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Biography
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Claims
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Claims Research
  
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Economic Conditions
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Education
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Folklore
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Government Relations
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- History
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Land Tenure
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Languages
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Missions
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Residential Schools
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Social Conditions
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Social Life And Customs
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Treaties
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Vancouver Island
•  
• Indians Of North America -- Canada --4 Related Subjects
• Indians Of North America -- Canada
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Antiquities
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Bibliography
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Biography
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Claims
  
•  
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Economic Conditions
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Economic Conditions -- Statistics
• Indians Of North America -- Education -- Canada
• Indians Of North America -- Education -- Canada -- History
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Ethnic Identity
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- First Contact With Europeans
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Government Relations -- 2 Related Subjects
  • -- See Also the narrower term Indians, Treatment of Canada
    
  • -- See Also the narrower term Québec (Province) History Native Crisis, 1990
    
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Government Relations
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- History
•  
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Intellectual Life
• Indians of North America -- Canada -- Interviews.
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Languages
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Literary Collections
•  
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Material Culture
•  
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Missions
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Politics And Government (covers self government etc.)
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Public Opinion
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Quotations
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Residential Schools
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Residential Schools -- Bibliography (e-book)
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Residential Schools -- Biography
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Social Conditions
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Social Life And Customs
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Statistics
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Treaties
•  
• Indians Of North America -- Colonization -- British Columbia
• Indians Of North America -- Colonization -- Canada
•  
• Indians Treatment Of -- British Columbia
• Indians Treatment Of -- Canada
• Indians Treatment Of -- Canada -- History
•  
• Indigenous Children -- Abuse Of -- Canada
• Indigenous Children Care -- Canada
• Indigenous Children -- Education -- Canada
•  
• Indigenous peoples -- Canada -- Government relations
• Indigenous Peoples -- Canada -- History
• Indigenous Peoples -- Cultural Assimilation -- Canada -- History
• Indigenous Peoples -- Civil Rights -- Canada
• Indigenous Peoples -- Material Culture -- Canada
• Indigenous Peoples -- Medical Care -- Canada
•  
• Indigenous women -- Canada
• Indian Women -- Canada -- Social Conditions
• Indian Women -- Crimes Against -- Canada
•  
• Inuit -- Canada -- Government Relations
•  
• Métis -- Canada -- History
•  
• Native Peoples -- Canada
• Native Peoples -- Canada -- Government Relations
• Native Peoples -- Legal Status Laws Etc -- Canada
•  
• Native Peoples -- Northwest Territories -- Government Relations
•  
• Restorative Justice -- Canada
•  
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge -- Canada
• Traditional Medicine -- Canada
•  etc

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• Other subject headings to be aware of in the Library Catalogue:
  • Name of a specific group of people
    • Carrier Indians -- See Also the narrower term Wet'suwet'en Indians
      
    • Carrier Indians -- British Columbia
    • Carrier Indians -- Social Life And Customs
    •  
    • Coast Salish Indians -- 17 Related Subjects
    • Coast Salish Indians
    • Coast Salish Indians -- British Columbia -- Claims
    •  
    •  
    •  
    • Stalo Indians -- See Also the narrower term Chilliwack Indians
      
    • Stalo Indians
    •  
    • Haida Indians
    •  
    • Nootka Indians -- British Columbia -- Vancouver Island
    • Nootka Indians -- History
    • Nootka Language
    •  

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 Residential Schools

• Boarding schools -- British Columbia.
•  
• First Nations Residential Schools
•  
• Indians Of North America -- British Columbia -- Residential Schools
• Indians of North America -- Canada -- Residential schools
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Residential Schools
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Residential Schools -- Bibliography (e-book)
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Residential Schools -- Bibliography

• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Residential Schools -- Biography
• Indians Of North America -- Canada -- Residential Schools -- History
•  
• Indigenous Peoples -- Canada -- Residential Schools
•  
•  
• Metis -- Residential Schools
• Metis -- Residential Schools Bibliography
•  
• Off Reservation Boarding Schools -- Canada
• Off Reservation Boarding Schools -- History
• Off Reservation Boarding Schools -- Canada -- Maps
•  
•