Canadian History (Early)

Native and Northern Canadians reached Canada long before the white man...

The first known people to settle in what we now know as Canada were Native Americans They were able to reach the land by crossing a land bridge in place between Siberia and Alaska. It is estimated that 300,000 of them migrated there in the early 16th Century. Since the Native Americans who came to settle in Canada were from many different tribes there were several small civilizations all over the land.

Each of these civilizations had their own hierarchy in place to contend with the people within it. They also had leaders who would often interact with those from other civilizations. Sometimes the communication was friendly or neutral. Other times though it was tense and even lead to various battles among them.

For their survival these various tribes of people hunted for animals and caught fish in the water. Buffalo were available to these early settlers in Canada and they became a primary food source. They were also able to get berries and other foods from plants and trees. Some of the civilizations were able to engage in trade practices which enabled them to get what they needed but weren’t able to gather on their own.

Those who were more advanced were able to take up a trade. A few of the main ones included woodworking. They were able to make ships and boats that allowed them to travel along the rivers. They could use them to engage in trade or to catch large numbers of fish from the water. They were even used to hunt for sea otters and seals.

Many of these civilizations were nomadic in nature. That means they were moving from one area to another along the plains. This was done in order to follow the sources of food that they relied upon. Conflicts often arose between civilizations though due to territory while on the move. When food was scarce this was more of an issue than when there was plenty of everyone.

For the most part they were able to live a happy and normal existence in this manner. That all began to change though as they were met by first the Vikings from Europe. They generally didn’t remain in the area for long but did cause damage and take what they could get from the civilizations. It wasn’t long after that explorers from Italy, England, and Europe were finding there way into Canada.
 

Canadian Genealogy Search

Search for your family name now

For best results, type in the word Genealogy along with the name or word you are searching for