Band

Band is a basic form of local residential group in traditional simple hunting and gathering societies all around the world. Before European colonization, Canada had 26 band-organized societies: these included the INUIT, several Athapascan (DENE) societies, several northern Algonquian societies and the BEOTHUK. The local bands were essentially several families, usually from about 20 to 50 people, who lived and worked together in a co-operative and egalitarian way with extensive sharing of food. The size and composition of these local groups fluctuated according to such factors as availability of game and movements related to marriages. In the annual round of hunting, fishing and plant gathering, it was common for several of these local bands to get together once or twice a year for festivals involving several hundred people (see POWWOW and SUN DANCE.

Today the Canadian government uses the term "band" to describe the local unit of administration by ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT. These units include the dozens of more complex native societies that were traditionally organized not as bands but as tribes or chiefdoms. There are over 615 of these modern administrative bands, which function as small Aboriginal municipalities and are managed by elected band councils according to the laws of the INDIAN ACT of Canada. These bands do not always coincide with the cultural and linguistic groupings of Aboriginal people.

See also NATIVE PEOPLE, DEMOGRAPHY; INDIAN RESERVE.

Author JOHN A. PRICE Revised: RENÉ R. GADACZ

Links to Other Sites
Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge
The website for the Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge, which features Canada's largest essay writing competition for Aboriginal youth (ages 14-29) and a companion program for those who prefer to work through painting, drawing and photography. See their guidelines, teacher resources, profiles of winners, and more. From the Historica-Dominion Institute.

Sheet music from Canada's past
A very extensive collection of digitalized copies of sheet music published before Confederation and during the First World War. Includes patriotic and parlour songs, piano pieces, sacred music, novelty numbers, and more. Also, check out the sheet music covers that appear in the Gallery section. From Library and Archives Canada.

National Youth Band of Canada
Catch the latest news and events for The National Youth Band of Canada. Includes sound clips of their music.

Four Directions Teachings
Elders and traditional teachers representing the Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibwe, Mohawk, and Mi’kmaq share teachings about their history and culture. Animated graphics visualize each of the oral teachings. This website also provides biographies of participants, transcripts, and an extensive array of learning resources for students and their teachers. In English with French subtitles.