Approximately 120 bands of Native Peoples have occupied the Great Lakes basin over the course of history. In the United States, Native Peoples are also referred to as American Indians or Native Americans. In Canada, tribes are called First Nations. In the Ontario region alone, more than 75 bands of First Nations are reported. A band is based on kinship and family affiliation.
Tribes are traditionally highly organized, politically autonomous groups.
Others believe the name originated with Christopher Columbus when he landed on the island of San Salvador during his explorations in 1492. The French explorers who first visited the Great Lakes, beginning with Lake Huron in 1615, found Native Peoples who had mastered their environment and were economically self-sustaining. The pelts of fur-bearing animals, especially beavers, were most sought after by the European traders. Many Natives abandoned their traditional needs and became dependent on trade. Such was the basis of the Indian trade over which wars were waged and the history of the Great Lakes region was shaped.