Origins a history of Canada Part1 a new world

Summary

This documentary explores the origins and early history of Canada, beginning thousands of years before European settlers arrived. It highlights the first peoples, particularly the Indigenous populations, tracing their presence back as far as 25,000 years. The series delves into the migration of ancient Asian hunters across the Bering Strait land bridge and examines how they adapted to the icy landscapes of prehistoric Canada. Using archaeological evidence, the program provides insights into Canada's formation, the tools and animals of early inhabitants, and the broader historical context involving geography, sociology, and anthropology.

Takeaways

• 📜 The history of Canada begins for new Canadians today, but for others, it goes back to Confederation or even earlier times.
• ⏳ Indigenous peoples, including the Inuit and First Nations, have been in Canada for thousands of years, long before European settlers arrived.
• 🌍 The 'new history' of Canada traces global influences and expands beyond traditional time and space borders, covering Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
• 🏞 Archaeological evidence suggests the first humans arrived in Canada around 25,000 years ago, possibly earlier, as demonstrated by modified animal bones in the Yukon.
• 🦣 Prehistoric humans in Canada hunted large animals like caribou, giant bison, and woolly mammoths, using tools made from their bones.
• ❄️ The Ice Age created a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska, allowing the first humans to walk into North America, but glaciers delayed their movement south for thousands of years.
• 🗺 The first people spread across the Americas through an ice-free corridor, reaching as far south as Tierra del Fuego by 11,000 years ago.
• 🔨 Spear points found across the Americas are key archaeological markers that help track the movements and timeframes of early human exploration in North America.
• 🐒 The theory of evolution explains why there were no native humans in the Americas before these early arrivals, as monkeys in the New World didn't evolve into apes and ultimately humans.
• 🌍 The first Canadians were of Asiatic origin, having crossed from Siberia to Alaska during the last Ice Age.

Q & A

Who are considered the 'true first citizens' of Canada according to the script?

The Indians (Indigenous peoples) are considered the true first citizens of Canada, having been here for thousands of years according to their traditions.

What is meant by the term 'new history' in the context of the script?

The 'new history' approach expands traditional Canadian history both in time and space, tracing historical events across continents and stretching back thousands of years before Canadian Confederation.

How does the script describe the earliest European settlement in Canada?

The script notes that the very first permanent European settlement in Canada was established in 1605.

What evidence supports the idea that humans were present in Canada 25,000 years ago?

Archaeological findings along the Old Crow River in the Yukon, including bones from caribou and mammoths, show evidence of modification by humans, suggesting that humans were in the area at least 25,000 years ago.

How did the Bering Strait land bridge contribute to the migration of early humans to Canada?

During the Ice Age, lower sea levels created a land bridge across the Bering Strait, allowing big-game hunters from Asia to migrate into what is now Alaska and Canada.

Why were early humans in the Alaska-Yukon region unable to explore further south initially?

They were blocked by massive glaciers that covered the rest of Canada, stretching as far south as present-day Kentucky.

How did archaeologists track the movement of early humans across the Americas?

Archaeologists used different types of spear points found across the Americas as markers to date and track the migration and settlement patterns of early humans.

What role did the warming climate around 17,000 years ago play in human migration?

As the climate warmed, glaciers began to melt, creating an ice-free corridor through the Mackenzie River Valley, allowing early humans to move southward into other parts of Canada and beyond.

What is the significance of spear points in understanding the history of early human migration?

Spear points help archaeologists date the arrival of early humans in various regions of the Americas and trace their migration patterns as they moved southward and later returned to Canada.

Why were early humans in the Americas not of local origin, according to the script?

The script explains that, according to the theory of evolution, human ancestors evolved in the Old World (Africa, Asia, and Europe), while the Americas did not have apes or early humans, as their monkeys remained tree-dwellers.