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Definition of North American Indian
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In the Census, respondents self-identified as ‘North American Indian’; however the term ‘First Nations people’ is used throughout this article. In the Census, the concept of Aboriginal identity refers to those persons who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian, as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation. Census data include First Nations people with and without Registered Indian status, as well as those living both on and off reserve.
