Who We Are: Citizenship Test Study Notes

The Aboriginal peoples: first to live here

Long before European explorers arrived, the land that is now Canada was home to the Aboriginal peoples — also called Indigenous peoples. The official guide groups them into three distinct peoples: First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Each has its own histories, languages and cultures, and together they were the first inhabitants of the country.

First Nations are the largest group and live in communities across every region of Canada. The Inuit, whose name means "the people" in the Inuktitut language, live mainly in the small, scattered communities of the Arctic. The Métis are a distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry who emerged in the West; most live in the Prairie provinces, and many historically spoke Michif. Today the territory of Nunavut, created in 1999, has a largely Inuit population and self-government.

The relationship between Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians has been shaped by treaties, by the residential school system — for which the Government of Canada has formally apologized — and by ongoing work toward reconciliation. Understanding this history is an important part of understanding who Canadians are.

English- and French-speaking roots

Alongside the Aboriginal peoples, the English- and French-speaking communities are often described as Canada's founding peoples. French settlers began arriving in the early 1600s and built the colony of New France along the St. Lawrence River. After 1760, the British took control, and English-speaking settlers — many of them Loyalists who left the United States after the American Revolution — arrived in large numbers.

These two streams gave Canada its two official languages: English and French. About three-quarters of Canadians whose first language is French live in Quebec, but roughly one million French speakers also live in other provinces, especially Ontario and New Brunswick — Canada's only officially bilingual province. English- and French-speaking communities have lived side by side for centuries, and their shared history is reflected in the country's bilingual character today.

Immigration and a multicultural society

For generations, people have come to Canada from every part of the world, and immigration remains central to Canadian life. Newcomers have arrived from the British Isles and France, and later from across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas. Today some of the largest communities of recent newcomers trace their origins to countries such as India, China and the Philippines, and most settle in and around the major cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Canada is often described as a multicultural society: people are encouraged to take pride in their own languages, religions and traditions while also taking part in Canadian life. This diversity is widely seen as a source of strength. At the same time, newcomers are expected to understand and respect the country's laws and shared values — and millions choose to become citizens.

• The three Aboriginal peoples: First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
• Two official languages and founding cultures: English and French.
• Canada welcomes hundreds of thousands of new permanent residents each year.
• The most diverse communities are concentrated in Canada's largest cities.

A common citizenship and identity

Whatever their background, Canadians are united by a shared citizenship. Becoming a citizen — whether by birth or by naturalization — means joining a community held together by common values rather than by a single ancestry or origin. These include respect for human dignity, the equality of every person, freedom, the rule of law and the equality of women and men.

Citizenship also comes with both rights and responsibilities, from the freedom to express your beliefs to the duty to obey the law and take part in the life of the country. The idea that people of many origins can share one identity, one set of rights and one loyalty to Canada lies at the heart of the "Who We Are" theme — and it is a theme worth understanding well before test day.

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