First Nations people originate from a diverse range of cultures and music traditions vary within this group of people. There are, however, some similarities which can mainly be found in the public, social music and private, ceremonial music. Before contact with Europeans, Aboriginal Canadians made traditional musical instruments from materials that were available in the areas that they inhabited. For example, the rattles that accompany social dance music were made from elaborately decorated gourds and animal horns.
Antlers and wood were carved to make drumsticks. The First Nations people that inhabited woodland areas used animal hides and wood to make drums which also accompanied this music. Private ceremonial First Nations music was used in ceremonies such as Sun Dances and Midewiwin ceremonies. This music also featured percussion music alongside traditional songs.
Other traditional music from the Aboriginal people of Canada can be found in the Inuit culture. Before Europeans settled in Canada, Inuit music mainly featured drums used in dance music and a style of singing called katajjaq, also known as Inuit throat-singing. Traditional uses of music in the Inuit culture included lullabies and it was also a way to ask the spirits to bring them good fortune in gambling and hunting during religious ceremonies. Katajjaq often imitates animal and nature sounds and this traditional form of song is often considered to be a game which two women will play. The women face each other and follow each other in song so that one voice has a strong accent and the other has a weak accent. The voices of the two women sound like one single voice. Short motifs are repeated at intervals until the game is lost by one of the competitors by laughing, or running out of breath, for example.
The Metis people of Canada have a shared aboriginal and European ancestry and this is reflected in their music. The fiddle features heavily in Metis music and it is supported by other instruments which create a rhythm. These instruments include those with European origins such as the harmonica and accordion as well as those from the native Canadian culture including finger instruments such as bones.