Taken from: Journey of Mankind
Over 160,000 years ago modern humans – **** sapiens- lived in Africa. The earliest know archaeological evidence of our DNA and chromosome ancestors is found in East Africa. A group traveled across a green Sahara 125,000 years ago, through the open northern gate, up the Nile to the Levant. 85,000 years ago a group crossed the mouth of the Red Sea – the Gates of Grief – prior to traveling as beach combers along the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula toward India. All non-African people are descended from this group. From Sri Lanka they continued along the Indian Ocean coast to western Indonesia then a landmass attached to Asia. Still following the coast they moved around Borneo to South China. Following the devastation of the Indian sub-continent repopulation took place. Groups crossed by boat from Timor into Australia and also from Borneo into New Guinea. There was intense cold in the lower Pieniglacial in the north. Dramatic warming of the climate 52,000 years ago meant groups were finally able to move north up the Fertile Crescent returning to the Levant. From there they moved into Europe via the Bosporus from 50,000 years ago. Groups from the East Asian coast moved west through the central Asia steppes towards Northeast Asia. From Pakistan they moved into Central Asia and Indo-China through Tibet into the Qing-hai Plateau. Central Asians moved west towards Eastern Europe, north into the Arctic Circle and joined East Asians to the spread into northeast Eurasia. 25,000 – 22,000 BC a group crossed the Bering land bridge connecting Siberia to Alaska, either passed through the ice corridor reaching Meadowcroft before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) or took the coastal route. During the last Ice Age Northern Europe, Asia, and North America were de-populated, with isolated surviving groups locked in refuges. In North America the ice corridor closed and the coastal route froze. The LGM 18000 years ago, in North America, south of the ice, groups continued to develop diversify in language, culture & genes as they crossed into South America. Continued amelioration of the global climate, Coastal route recommenced, Monte Verde, Chile – human habitation dating 11,790 to 13,565 years ago. Reoccupation of North America 12,500 years ago came from south of the ice going north. In the sub-Arctic 11,500 years ago people moved out from the Beringean refuge to become Eskimo.
Taken from: Wikipedia
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal people in Canada, also known as First Nations, Inuit and Métis, are people who belong to recognized indigenous groups in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, sections 25 and 35, respectively as First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. As of the 2006 Canadian Census there were over 1,172,790 Aboriginal people in Canada, 3.8% of the country's total population. This comprises 698,025 people of First Nations descent, 389,785 Métis, and 50,485 Inuit. National representative bodies of Aboriginal people in Canada include the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis National Council, the Native Women's Association of Canada, the National Association of Friendship Centers and the Congress of Aboriginal People. These bodies however are not recognized by some indigenous people in Canada as representing their interests. Some such indigenous people prefer to rely upon their traditional laws and governance and pick their representation accordingly. Some indigenous people assert that their sovereign rights have not been extinguished, and point to the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which is mentioned in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, Section 25, as well as to the British North America Act and the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties to which Canada and Great Britain are signatories, in support of this claim. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was an important commission undertaken by the Government of Canada in the 1990s. It assessed past government policies toward Aboriginal people, such as residential schools, and provided many policy recommendations to the government. However, many recommendations made by RCAP have not been implemented by the federal government to date. Under the Employment Equity Act, Aboriginal people are a designated group along with women, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities. They are not considered a visible minority under the Act and in the view of Statistics Canada.
Now, taken from: Webster’s Dictionary
Indigenous:
1 : having originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment <indigenous plants> <the indigenous culture>
Native:
Middle English natif, from Middle French, from Latin nativus, from natus, past participle of nasci to be born — more at NATION Date: 14th century. Belonging to a particular place by birth <native to Wisconsin> Native American A term dating back to 1737: a member of any of the aboriginal peoples of the western hemisphere ; especially : a Native American of North America and especially the United States . belonging to or associated with one by birth. synonyms NATIVE , INDIGENOUS , ENDEMIC , ABORIGINAL mean belonging to a locality. NATIVE implies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it <native tribal customs>. INDIGENOUS applies to species or races and adds to NATIVE the implication of not having been introduced from elsewhere <maize is indigenous to America>. ENDEMIC implies being peculiar to a region <edelweiss is endemic in the Alps>.
My point!
By all scientific facts and definitions; and since the entire human race did start and migrate throughout the world from Africa… I am as much of an Indigenous, Native, American as any member or any other group of people!
Now can we all do something to save our fish!
