The First Nation people have an unique way of living that reflects their ideals, religion and culture. The First Nations groups, whom initially claimed North America, can be, further, classified in three respected groups, known as the Métis, Inuit and the Aboriginals. These three communities differ in their traditions, heritage and languages. However, the status of aboriginals, in modern day society, has evolved in both negative and positive ways. This essay will explore their living, the quality of education and the types of jobs.

The First Nations are very dependent on their traditions, such as the clothing they wear and the languages they speak. They try to instill this into their kids as they should carry this tradition or be frowned upon in their society. The Métis first appeared along the Great Lakes but now they live in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Alberta. As of the 2006 census, almost 400,000 people were recorded as Métis, with almost 90% of them living in western provinces. The food that they, mostly, eat is Bannock, a type of fried bread. They used to wear specific clothes. Métis men often wore a short shirt, red woolen cap, deerskin pants, moccasins and a long hooded coat, called a capot. Métis men, also, wore a colourful sash around their waist. The sash could be used as a rope, bandage, washcloth, towel, or an emergency saddle blanket. Most Métis women dressed in simple dresses with high necklines. They, often, wore shawls over their heads and moccasins on their feet. They, sometimes, decorated their clothing with embroidery or Native beadwork. The First Nation celebrates National Aboriginal Day on June 21st . This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Many Métis are of the Catholic religion. The Inuit’s lived up north, in the very cold areas of Canada and Alaska, such as Nunavut and Northwest Territories. They would wear very thick clothing, made of fur, to keep them warm, during the extreme cold weather. Favorite foods of the Inuit include beluga whale, seal, fish, crab, walrus, caribou, moose, duck, quail and geese. In the summer, they incorporate some roots and berries into their meals. Due to the harsh arctic climate, the Inuit eat, mostly, meat and fish. There are only 50,483 Inuits recorded in 2011; their population is very small. The First Nations lives are very different from ours. For example, in 2016, we don’t have to hunt for food or make our own houses. For us, the essentials of life are, easily, accessible and can be bought with cash. First Nations instill into their children to carry on their tradition and till this day their clothes are handmade from fur, their moccasins are the warmest footwear and they still hunt for their meals.

The First Nations, today, have separate schooling from the rest of us. The government pays all the fees for them, because they barely have money in the first place. In 2013- 2014 the government spent $1.58 billion dollars for education, $1.38 billion for elementary and secondary instructional services, student support services and various proposal-based and targeted programs (such as the New Paths for Education Program, First Nation Student Success Program, Education Partnerships Program, and High-Cost Special Education Program) transferred to First Nations and organizations designated by First Nations for the delivery of these services and programs and $112 million to operate and maintain school facilities, an estimated $92 million to support kindergarten to grade 12 teachers and staff through Band Support Funding and Employee Benefits related to education services. In 2010, there were more than 515 First Nations elementary and secondary schools available, to approximately 109,000 First Nations students residing on reserve lands. Over 64% of these students attended 515 on-reserve schools, operated by First Nations; the majority, (75%), was enrolled in either kindergarten or an elementary school, while 25% were enrolled in an on-reserve secondary school. Approximately 31% of First Nations students attended off-reserve provincial schools and 5% attended either a private or federal school. Secondary school data (2004-2009) identifies the rate of First Nation graduation at approximately 36% compared with the Canadian graduation rate of 72%. First Nation in Nova Scotia are achieving 100% graduation rates, in the last few years. 61% of First Nation young adults (20-24) have not completed high school, compared with 13% of non-Aboriginal people in Canada. Special needs identification and placement rates, in First Nations elementary and secondary schools are 2-3 times the rate of provincial K-12 schools. As you can see, First Nations have poor education.

The Métis and Inuit people have an hard time finding work and they have a higher unemployment rate than non-Aboriginal people. The gap widened following the downturn, as Aboriginal people aged 15 and older (excluding those living on reserves or in the territories) experienced larger declines in employment rates than non-Aboriginal people did. In 2009, the average employment rate for Aboriginal people was 57.0%, compared with 61.8% for non-Aboriginal people. At the same time, the unemployment rate rose rapidly for Aboriginal people, rising from 10.4% in 2008 to 13.9%. The rate for non-Aboriginal people rose from 6.0% to 8.1%. Aboriginal people whom had completed post-secondary education were not as affected; their employment rate declined to 79.4%, down 1.8 percentage points from 2008 to 2009. The employment rate for Aboriginal people with less than a high school diploma fell by 5.5 percentage points to 47.7%. Those with an high school diploma and some post-secondary education fared better, as their employment rate declined by 3.3 percentage points to 66.3%. The First Nations are eligible for most jobs but their requirements are a bit different from non-aboriginal people and finding a job for them is very difficult.

In conclusion, the state of Canada’s First Nations children should be better. They should practice their tradition and heritage and improve their skills and knowledge, as well. They should, strongly, focus on their education, as the government is supporting them. Hopefully, with better education, they are able to find suitable jobs to support their family. I come from a strong cultural family. I am born in Canada and I have strong roots. I will not change my heritage and culture. I will ensure I have good education and a good job, to support my family