First Nations and Inuit religions and beliefs
The Amerindians and Inuit practiced and still celebrate the animist religions of their ancestors, which stipulate that every element of nature around us has a spirit. Many offerings and ceremonies were centered around these rites related to nature and spirituality. Although indigenous peoples were forcibly confronted with the Christian religions brought by settlers from Europe, celebrations and organizations continue to perpetuate these rites, such as the religion of the Tremblers in the American West, mixing Christian and indigenous religions.
Today, the various indigenous communities have made efforts to showcase their cultural heritage. This is first and foremost a living heritage held by the elders, a spiritual heritage based on respect for ancestral customs as well as sacred and secular places. These communities have created museums, among the most important of which are the Vancouver Museum of Anthropology, theAlaska State Museum, the Touchstones Museum of Art and History in Nelson, craft shops, art galleries including Alaska Indian Arts, Bill Reid Gallery, interpretive centres such as the Historic Hat Creek Ranch, and reconstructions of traditional villages including the Ksan Historical Village where you can relive and discover sacred traditions and beliefs.The arrival of the European colonizers and the mixing of religions
Multi-ethnicity has developed in Canada through countless migrations that have left behind a very varied cultural and religious heritage. In the province of Alberta, many Europeans, but particularly Ukrainians and Germans, settled here. A good number of Ukrainian Orthodox Churches are present in the territory. The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, with its three churches of Byzantine architecture in the heart of the village, is representative of the impact of cultures and diversity in Canada. In Vancouver, the Cathedral of the Church of Christ is an Anglican church where the British royal family comes to worship when it is passing through the city. If you're visiting Banff National Park, don't miss St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, built in 1930 from local Banff stone. Finally, if you're extending your trip to Alaska, stop in front of Sitka Lutheran Church, the oldest on the west coast of North America.
Minority religious groups
Many Hutterites live in communities in the heart of the Alberta plains. Immigrants from Germany, entire families arrived in Canada in the early 19th century, rejected by their countries of origin for their beliefs. Living together and sharing are the watchwords of these communities of about 100 people. Evangelicals and Protestants, they go to church together, meet to eat and exchange every day, their activities are directly related to their needs, the work varies according to the seasons and revolves around the agricultural sector, on the farms. Special schools are dedicated to these people, on the fringes of society, yet they integrate more or less according to the fields. For example, they are often found in markets. Their style of dress is different: they are dressed in clothes covering body parts and a scarf, and women are the most easily spotted because of their appearance. A large colony of Hutterites is located at Pincher Creek, about 2 hours 15 minutes from Calgary. There are also groups of Mormons, two of whom founded the community of Bountiful, British Columbia. These communities have generated much debate and led to a constitutional law against polygamy, which is still practised by some Mormon groups.
Mennonites, mostly of German and Dutch origin, are a very representative community in Canada with over 200,000 Mennonites now spread across the country. Very attached to their traditions, they live mainly from agriculture and settled on the plains of Canada from the 18th century onwards.
Each of these groups has its own churches present in more or less every region of Canada and tries to thrive in a society that is constantly changing and increasingly detached from all forms of belief.
