Prior to the 1500’s, Canada consisted of Aboriginal groups of people consisting of 20-30 each. There were five groups; the Arctic Thule, the Northeastern Woodlands, the Great Plains, the Northwest Coast, and the Plateau peoples. Each of these groups having different cultures and living techniques, which were shared through creation stories. Canada was split into 5-7 cultural areas. The different Aboriginal groups share some cultural similarities and features such as religion, knowledge of the natural environment, established networks of trade, warfare and perspectives on gender & sexuality. When the Europeans first came to Canada, they looked for help from all the indigenous peoples as they had a very vast amount of knowledge on the land of Canada. The invasion of the Europeans came with great surprise to the aboriginals of Canada. There was no warning signs of them coming over seas to invade the land.
When learning about the first peoples of Canada, it is important to use a ethno-historical methodology. Since the indigenous peoples were the only people that experienced Canada before Europeans came, it is important to consider the their stories and information when making assumptions about this time. Culture was very important to the Aboriginal peoples, and they worked very hard to maintain it, even when the Europeans came and tried to change their way of life.