ABORIGINAL PEOPLES

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ABORIGINAL PEOPLES
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Origins of Canadas First Peoples
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Theory

• An idea or possible explanation for something
  that is unknown.

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Where did they come from?

• One of the most widely accepted theories is the
  Beringia or Bering Land Bridge theory.
• According to many archaeologists, the first
  people arrived in North America about 30 000 to
  35 000 years ago. At this time it is believed
  that much of the earth was covered with ice.
  This time period is called the Ice Age.
• So much of the water turned to ice that the ocean
  levels dropped. This created a land bridge
  between Asia and North America, in the area now
  called Alaska. This land bridge is known as
  Beringia.

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Beringia or Bering Land Bridge
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Other theories

• First nation peoples came to North America from
  Asia by canoe, following the coastline
• First Nations Peoples crossed the Pacific Ocean
  by dug-out canoe
• First Nation Peoples originated in North America
• First Nations peoples came from a lost continent
  in the Atlantic Ocean called Atlantis, or the
  Pacific Ocean

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Oral Traditions and Creation Stories What the
First Nations peoples believe

• Oral tradition in the form of story telling was
  the way that the First Peoples kept their history
  alive over long periods of time. Elders have
  passed on the History from one generation to the
  next.

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Oral Traditions and Creations Stories (Continued)

• Almost all groups, in their old respected stories
  tell of how their people came to be in the earth.
  All First Nations Peoples have such stories as
  well.
• The traditional belief of these peoples is that
  they have always been in North America. The
  believe the people were made and placed here on
  the land by the Creator

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Creations Stories
The Creation of Turtle Island

• The Anishinabe or Ojibway people believed in this
  creation story
• Kitchi-Manitou or the great mystery is who
  brought the universe and all creatures into
  existence
• Then he decided to create beings like himself
  that could have dreams and visions
• A manitou called Geezhigo-Quae, or sky woman
  agreed to bear children and made home on the moon

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Creation Stories Continued The Creation of
Turtle Island

• The Water Manitous were very upset so they caused
  a great flood
• Geezhigo-Quae called to the animals for help and
  the muskrat returned with soil from the bottom of
  the oceans
• She rubbed the soil on the turtles back. It grew
  into the land Muzzu-kummick-quae (The earth
  mother)