June 17, 2025

This article is part of the Cultural Competency Connections series, which aims to highlight stories of culturally safe kidney research, unpack key learnings from community engagement, and amplify Indigenous voices and leadership.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is an opportunity to celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and stories of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island. But this celebration is not about a single group. Indigenous people have never been a monolith—they represent a mosaic of peoples, each with distinct histories, cultural practices, and relationships with the land. These differences can vary significantly depending on whether someone is First Nations, Inuit, or Métis.  

“Usually, people think that what an Inuk believes in or what medicines they use are the same as a First Nations or Métis person, and that’s simply not the case,” says Heather Talbot, an Anishinaabe woman from Sheguiandah First Nation.  “We’re very distinct.” 

Catherine Turner, a Métis woman from Red River Settlement in Manitoba, echoes this. “In a way, it’s like thinking about the difference between an Italian individual, a Scottish individual, and a German individual,” she explains. “They’re all human beings, but their cultural aspects are really quite different.” 

To recognize this diversity, we’re launching a three-part series exploring the unique histories and cultures of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. This introductory story offers a brief overview—stay tuned for a deeper dive into each group’s traditions and experiences.  

First Nations  

First Nations people have lived across Turtle Island since time immemorial, primarily in the lands south of the treeline and Arctic Circle. They have traditionally lived in Family, Clan, and Kinship groups across diverse territories, each with their own customs, diets, and ways of knowing, doing, and being. Today, there are more than 630 First Nations in Canada. Many more existed before colonization.  

“Before settlers arrived, we had our own systems of governance … our own justice system, education system, medical system,” says Talbot.  

Although these structures varied from one Nation to another, a common thread continues to unite them: a deep connection to the land.  

“We’re caretakers for the land,” says Talbot, adding that the land, in turn, provides everything that First Nations people need to live well. “We believe Mother Earth gave us everything we need to be well and healthy, including medicine. Going outside is medicine, your family is medicine, water and fire—everything is our medicine.”  

In an upcoming feature story, Talbot shares more about traditional First Nations medicines and how the legacy of residential schools has impacted First Nations people’s trust in Western medicine and health care. 

Click the link to read Honouring First Nations Knowledge.

Métis 

Métis people have a distinct culture, language (Michif), governance, and history, shaped by their unique position between First Nations and settler societies. “It’s important that people understand that being Métis is not just a watered-down version of being a First Nations [person],” explains Turner. 

Métis people share a strong respect for the land and many traditional medicinal practices with their First Nations relatives. At the same time, European influences are reflected in Métis food, music, and other practices. Turner’s family, for example, partakes in fiddle music, large gatherings, and hunting.  

While Métis culture is vibrant, it is often misunderstood—a challenge many in the community continue to face. “It can feel like you don’t belong in the First Nations community, and you don’t belong in the non-Indigenous community either—you’re in between,” says Turner.  

In an upcoming feature, Turner discusses the complexities of Metis identity, and the ways colonialism, racism, and misunderstanding have led some to hide or downplay their Métis heritage. 

Click the link to read Honouring Métis Knowledge.

Inuit 

North of the treeline and within the Arctic Circle, Inuit communities have sustained ways of life closely tied to the land since time immemorial. Just as there are many different First Nations cultures, Inuit culture and dialects vary across regions. The term “Inuit” represents distinct Inuit groups across the circumpolar north. 

Letitia Pokiak, an Inuk woman from Tuktoyaktuk—one of the northernmost settlements in the Northwest Territories—remembers growing up in a tight-knit community surrounded by extended family and guided by traditional seasonal practices: hunting geese in spring, whales in summer, and caribou in the fall.  

Pokiak says Inuit continue to practice their culture and traditions, which is intricately connected to their health and well-being. “That’s how we spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally take care of ourselves —[by] reconnecting to the land,” she explains.  

But these ways of life are being eroded, Pokiak notes, as colonial food systems and outside influences increasingly replace traditional practices. In the final story in this series, Pokiak discusses the unique cultures of Inuit and the challenges they face, including accessing food and Western medicine. 

Click the link to read Honouring Inuit Knowledge.