Surviving archaeological evidence shows that indigenous peoples, known formerly as Indians and now as Amerindians (Amérindiens in French), Native peoples, and First Nations, have occupied North America for about 15,000 years. It appears to be the case that these peoples migrated from Asia across the Bering land bridge, or Beringia, which is thought then to have existed during times of low sea levels between what is now northeasternmost Russia and northwesternmost Alaska.

Contact with people from other continents began occurring in the portion of the continent now known as Canada about 1,000 years ago. The first visitors were Vikings, from the area of Europe now known as Scandinavia. They sailed across the North Atlantic Ocean and landed at the northern end of the island that is the Canadian province of Newfoundland today.

One historic site, L'Anse aux Meadows, located on the northern tip of Newfoundland's northern peninsula, has been maintained as a Canadian national historic site since 1977, and as a United Nations World Heritage Site since 1978.

Portuguese, French, Basque (Spanish), and English sailors fished on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and other rich fisheries during the 1500 and 1600s. Their contact with both Inuit (formerly known as Eskimos) and Amerindians was not extensive but it introduced them to useful native technologies for fishing. Thus began a relationship that has characterized Canadian history markedly.

At times, Native peoples have been active participants in the lives and labours of Euro-Canadians; at other times, they have been subjugated by them. Today, their stature is resuming prominence, especially through the judicial system. Natives have for about a decade been succeeding at winning claims for land from the federal and provincial governments of Canada. Results of the 1996 federal census (the most recent) showed that about 4% of the national population of 28.5 million (1996) identified themselves as being of direct or indirect Native descent, whether Amerindian, Inuit, or Métis (people of mixed blood, that is, Native and European).