first nations

First Nations individuals are status and non-status individuals, from the land now known as Canada, who are citizens, recognized members or direct blood relatives of a self-governing band, a reserve-based community or a larger tribal group.

Indigenous identity is different from distant Indigenous ancestry. It includes nationhood, direct family relationships or blood ties, cultural knowledge, community accountability and belonging. Distant or recently discovered ancestry alone does not make an individual Indigenous for the purposes of Council funding.