Final answer:
The First Nations comprise over 630 groups with various cultures, living mostly in southern Canada and traditionally hunting, fishing, and trading. The Inuit live in the north, speak Inuktut, and rely on hunting and fishing for survival in Arctic conditions. Both have adapted to historical changes and combine traditional practices with modern employment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The First Nations and the Inuit are two distinct Indigenous groups recognized within the Canadian constitution, with notable differences in their history, language, culture, and spiritual beliefs. The First Nations encompass over 630 distinct groups that represent 50 unique Nations and languages spread across Canada. They have a diverse range of cultural practices and live in various environments, often in the southern parts of Canada. Their traditional economies were largely based on hunting, fishing, and trade.
By contrast, the Inuit primarily inhabit the northern regions of Canada, living in 53 communities and speaking Inuktut. Their lifestyle is well-adapted to the Arctic environment, relying heavily on hunting and fishing for survival, with animals such as caribou, walrus, seals, and polar bears providing food, clothing, and materials for shelter and tools.
Both groups have faced historical challenges and have had to adapt their traditional ways of life due to European colonization and changing climate and economic conditions. Today, many members of these groups combine traditional subsistence activities with wage employment while striving to preserve their unique cultural identities and languages.