Indigenous Peoples in Canada
These resources provide a wealth of information on local First Nations, as well as Indigenous Peoples and issues across Canada.
See also: our Reconciliation and Residential Schools in Canada pages.
- Last updated: November 22, 2023
on the shelf
Check these out the next time you’re in the Library.
Pacific Northwest First Nations People and Culture
Pacific Northwest First Nations People and Culture
on the web
These recommended websites are free and easily accessible! All you need is an internet connection.
BC Indigenous 2SLGBTIQ+ Wellness Program
British Columbia's "Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation" page provides access to information about the Ministry itself as well as news and services relating to Indigenous groups throughout the province.
The Declaration Act establishes the UN Declaration as the Province’s framework for reconciliation, as called for by the TRC’s Calls to Action.
The latest news and current affairs from Indigenous communities across Canada.
Online version of the City of Vancouver's "First Peoples: A Guide for Newcomers." Aimed at newcomers, this guide serves as a great resource for anyone wanting an introduction to Aboriginal issues and history in Canada. Also available in print at the Library. You can also check out the Surrey First Peoples Guide for Newcomers.
FirstVoices is an online space for Indigenous communities to share and promote language, oral culture and linguistic history. Language teams work with elders to curate and upload audio recordings, dictionaries, songs and stories. Search over 75 language sites, many of which are accessible for public learning.
ISC has launched the Indigenous Business Navigator service, to assist Indigenous individuals, businesses, organizations and communities in accessing Government of Canada programs and services that could support their business and economic-development needs.
From an Indigenous perspective, this free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.
To celebrate and showcase the multitude of Indigenous educational experiences that exist around the country, NCCIE serves as an accessible, shared, informational resource for all peoples of Canada.
Indigenous Foundations was developed by the First Nations & Indigenous Studies Program at the University of British Columbia for students, teachers, researchers and the broader public. It is a great information resource that covers key topics relating to the histories, politics, and cultures of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.
"Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) works collaboratively with partners to improve access to high quality services for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Our vision is to support and empower Indigenous peoples to independently deliver services and address the socio-economic conditions in their communities."
IndigiNews is dedicated to covering the news in a way that allows for your stories to be heard, understood and respected. We aim to produce valuable, relevant, and trustworthy content by listening to the communities we serve through our work. Our reporters are currently covering the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver Island.
The voice of Métis in BC.
West Vancouver is on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation).
The official site of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation), with information about governance, lands, current events, and their social sector.
"We will find the truth by gathering many stories from many people. These truths will weave together to show us what violence really looks like for Indigenous women and girls in Canada."
At Native Education College, we help Indigenous learners realize their potential in a supportive and cultural environment.
In 2019, the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre released this report based on the lived experience, leadership, and expertise of Indigenous survivors. This is the culmination of a participatory process with 113 Indigenous women and 15 non-Indigenous women regarding the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
West Vancouver is on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation).
The official site of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), with access to current news and events as well as cultural and historical information.
West Vancouver is on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation).
The official site of the Tseil-Waututh Nation, with information about their history, governance, businesses, lands, and community projects and events.
UNYA strives to support Indigenous youth by providing a diverse continuum of advocacy, preventative and support services that respond to their immediate and long-term needs.
LIBRARY DATABASES
Access these resources using your WVML card.
Know BC is home to the Encyclopedia of British Columbia, an authoritative resource on BC past and present that features more than 4,000 articles and 1,500 accompanying photographs, maps, charts and tables, as well as sound and video clips.
Access Information: Licensed for West Vancouver residents only
Points to the Past provides access to primary source material dating from 1450 to 2008. This includes over half a million books, digitized newspapers (The Economist, Financial Times, and more), 6.5 million manuscript pages, maps, photos, pamphlets, sermons and poems.
Available in the library and at home within BC.
multimedia
Photos, videos and more, available online for free.
Welcome to our Homelands features six Indigenous individuals extending a welcoming message to newcomers to Canada. The video provides a glimpse of aboriginal history in Canada including its more complex aspects, and reflects the wide diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada and their cultures. The video along serves as a “jumping off point for further learning.”
The Indigenous Heritage Portal of LAC provides a window to vast collections of resources created by or about Indigenous peoples in Canada, and reflects their significant contributions to this country’s political, social, economic and cultural development. The site features numerous e-collections, databases, virtual exhibitions, Indigenous genealogy, and tools to help locate materials.
A collection highlighting over 200 films made by Indigenous directors, made freely available as part of the NFB’s 3-year action plan to redefine its relationship with Indigenous Peoples based on the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and Indigenous film creators. Read more here: http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/about-the-nfb/indigenous-action-plan2/
West Vancouver Schools has the privilege and honour of working directly with local Indigenous Elders, Nation Council members, cultural advisors, and educators to provide authentic, meaningful learning opportunities for both students and staff. This page contains videos of legends and ceremonies you can watch as a family, and some for adults to help understand what Indigenous Education and Reconciliation looks like in our community’s classrooms.