Analysis series Aboriginal peoples of Canada

Aboriginal population
The counts from the 2001 Census using the different definitions
Language
Area of Residence
Mobility Status - Place of Residence 1 Year Ago

Aboriginal population

There are many ways of defining the Aboriginal population, which can result in different estimates of its size. There is no single or "correct" definition of the Aboriginal population and the choice of a definition depends on the purpose for which it is to be used. Different definitions/counts are used depending on the focus and requirements of the user.

The 2001 Census provides data that are based on the definitions of ethnic origin (ancestry), Aboriginal Identity, Registered Indian, and Band membership. The January 21, 2003 release uses mostly the Aboriginal Identity concept to provide a demographic profile of the Aboriginal population. Subsequent releases will provide additional data on the Aboriginal peoples of Canada and their socio-economic characteristics.

Aboriginal Ancestry/Origin refers to those persons who reported at least one Aboriginal origin (North American Indian, Métis or Inuit) on the ethnic origin question in the Census. The question asks about the ethnic or cultural group(s) to which the respondent's ancestors belong.

Aboriginal Identity refers to those persons who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, i.e. North American Indian, Métis or Inuit. Also included are individuals who did not report an Aboriginal identity, but did report themselves as a Registered or Treaty Indian, and/or Band or First Nation membership.

Registered, status or treaty Indian refers to those who reported they were registered under the Indian Act of Canada. Treaty Indians are persons who are registered under the Indian Act of Canada and can prove descent from a Band that signed a treaty. The term "treaty Indian" is more widely used in the Prairie provinces.

Member of an Indian Band or First Nation refers to those persons who reported being a member of an Indian band or a First Nation of Canada.

Canada
Aboriginal Origin   1,319,890
Aboriginal Identity    976,305
Registered Indian    558,175
Band Membership   554,860

Mother Tongue refers to the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the individual at the time of the census.

Knowledge of Non-official Languages refers to languages, other than English or French, in which the respondent can conduct a conversation. The non-official language data are based on the respondent's assessment of his or her ability to speak non-official languages, such as Aboriginal languages.

Home Language refers to the language spoken most often or on a regular basis at home by the individual at the time of the census.

Four geographic areas have been derived for use in the analysis document to classify areas of residence. They are derived by classifying census subdivisions (the equivalent of communities) into the following areas of residence to show where the Aboriginal population is residing:

On reserve includes the following types of census subdivisions (CSDs) or communities affiliated with First Nations or Indian Bands: Indian Reserve (R), Indian Settlement (S-E), Indian Government District (IGD), Terres réservées (TR), Nisga'a Village (NVL), Nisga'a Land (NL) and Teslin Land (TL), as well as additional CSDs of various other types that are generally northern communities in Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory, which have large concentrations of Registered Indians.

Urban census metropolitan area (CMA) is a large urban area and has a population of at least 100,000.

Urban non-census metropolitan areas (non-CMA) are smaller urban areas with a population of less than 100,000.

Rural non-reserve areas include remote and wilderness areas and agricultural lands, as well as small towns, villages and other populated places with a population of less than 1,000 and a density of less than 400 persons per square kilometre, but excludes reserves as defined above.

Additional information and definitions on the geographic units can be obtained from the 2001 Census Dictionary.

Mobility status indicates whether the person lived in the same residence on Census Day (May 15, 2001) as he or she did one year before (May 15, 2000). This divides the populations into "movers" and "non-movers". Information is provided for three different types of "movers": people who moved within the same city or town (non-migrants), people who moved from a different city or town in the same province or territory, and people who came from another province or territory or another country.

In-migration is defined as a movement of persons into a community or census subdivision (CSD) from elsewhere in Canada, within the 12 months prior to Census Day. Persons who made such a move are called in-migrants. For this analysis CSDs have been classified into different areas of residence, i.e. Reserves, Rural non-reserve, Urban non-CMA and Urban CMA - see Area of Residence definitions.

Out-migration is defined as a movement of persons out of a CSD to elsewhere in Canada, within the 12 months prior to Census Day. Persons who made such a move are called out-migrants.

Net-migration refers to the number of in-migrants into a CSD minus the number of out-migrants from the same CSD, within the 12 months prior to Census Day.