Indigenous peoples in Alberta
There are 284,465 Indigenous people in Alberta. The majority of Indigenous people in the province are:
- First Nations (52.8%)
- Métis (44.2%)
- Inuit (1.0%)
First Nations
There are 48 First Nations in Alberta. In 2021, there were 284,465 Indigenous people in Alberta, making up 6.8% of the population.
Historic treaties number 6, 7 and 8 cover the Alberta region.
The most commonly spoken First Nations languages in the province are:
- Blackfoot
- Cree
- Chipewyan
- Dene
- Sarcee
- Stoney (Nakoda Sioux)
Métis
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Métis began to organize themselves politically. The L'Association des Métis d'Alberta et les Territories du Nord-Ouest was the predecessor to Métis Association of Alberta, the Métis Nation of Alberta and now, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government. In November 2022, Métis Citizens overwhelmingly ratified a constitution to establish the Otipemisiwak Métis Government.
In September 2023, the first election under the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Constitution was held. The Otipemisiwak Métis Government is now the government of the Métis Nation within Alberta as recognized through a self-government agreement signed in 2023 between the Métis Nation of Alberta, now the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and the Government of Canada.
In 1938, the Alberta government enacted the Métis Betterment Act, leading to the creation of 12 Métis colonies settlements and the first and only secure land base for Métis in all of Canada. In 1975, the Alberta Federation of Métis Settlements was formed. In 1990, Alberta passed legislation recognizing the governance framework of the Métis Settlements and protecting the land under Alberta's constitution. According to the 2021 Census, there are currently more than 127,000 Métis people living in the province, of which approximately 5,000 people live in 1 of the 8 remaining Métis settlements. These settlements cover a land base of 1.25 million acres. The Metis Settlements General Council is a collective voice that advocates for the land and rights of the Metis Settlements people.