Indigenous peoples in Alberta
There are 258,640 Indigenous people in Alberta, making up 6.5% of the population.
The majority of Indigenous people in the province are:
- First Nations (52.8%)
- Métis (44.2%)
- Inuit (1.0%)
First Nations
There are 45 First Nations in Alberta. As of 2013, the province is home to 13% of the total registered Indian status population in Canada.
Historic treaties # 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
Since 1928, the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) has governed the Métis in the province. In 1938, the Alberta government enacted the Métis Betterment Act, leading to the creation of 12 Métis settlements (today 8), and the first and only secure land base for Métis in all of Canada.
There are more than 114,000 Métis people living in the province, of which 5,000 people live in 1 of the 8 remaining Métis settlements. These settlements cover a land base of 1.25 million acres.