This 1857 map shows the geographic distribution of
First Nations in North America. The map was commissioned
by the British House of Commons, and was prepared by
the well-known British cartographic firm of John Arrowsmith.
It was printed by Henry Hansard for distribution in
the Parliamentary Papers of the British House of Commons.
The map was produced as background information in
connection with an inquiry by a Select Committee of
the British House of Commons looking "to consider
the State of those British Possessions in North America
which are under the Administration of the Hudson's
Bay Company, or over which they possess a Licence
to Trade."
The lithographed map is the first known attempt by
European map makers to describe the areas occupied
by North America's First Nations. Interestingly, the
First Nations are grouped and mapped according to
their linguistic affiliation, not by their political
or economic alliances which was the standard practice
when mapping European nations. Population estimates
within each linguistic group are indicated in an accompanying
table.
