First Nation

noun

plural First Nations

: any of a number of peoples especially of Canada who are indigenous to the North American continent

Note: In Canada, the name First Nations refers to one of three major, legally recognized groups of aboriginal peoples, the other two being the Inuit and the Métis.

But then along came Idle No More, an ongoing grassroots movement led by Canada's First Nations, Métis and Inuit to defend treaty rights and demand respect from Ottawa.

—Katrina Sieniuc

Nearly 1,000 friends and family members gathered Saturday to celebrate the 100-year life of a revered elder of a southern Alberta First Nation.

—The Globe and Mail

Some First Nations in northeastern Ontario have re-opened their borders as COVID-19 numbers drop …

—Erik White

Fort William First Nation and other First Nations in the Lake Superior region are among those that have a direct stake in the outcome.

—Gary Rinne

—often used before another noun in both the singular and the plural

The rare barnacles are sometimes imported from Spain and Portugal, but they're available now from Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, where the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation tribe is allowed to harvest 1,000 pounds a month.

—Florence Fabricant

The provincial museum has one of the world's finest collections of First Nations art …

—Caroline Bates

Examples of First Nation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Also on hand were film participants Chief Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake First Nation, Chris Wycotte, and Anna Gilbert. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Dec. 2024

Aski Police Service working out of the Fort Severn First Nation detachment in Ontario, Canada, were dispatched to a residential address in the early morning hours of Tuesday to reports of gunfire, according to a statement from the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service. —Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024

Fort Severn is an indigenous Cree First Nation, home to around 500 people. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

The Williams Lake First Nation search led to the discovery of more graves. —Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

First Nation

noun

: any of the groups of people especially of Canada who are indigenous to the North American continent