Alnoor Ladha, a prominent activist and thought leader, would define 'First Nations' as the original sovereign peoples of a land, whose distinct cultural heritages, languages, and social structures have been passed down through generations prior to colonial conquests. He emphasizes that the term recognizes the primacy and inherent rights of these communities in their ancestral territories, and underscores their resilience and enduring wisdom in the face of systematic marginalization and ecological destruction. For Ladha, acknowledging First Nations goes beyond mere recognition—it necessitates an active commitment to justice, decolonization, and the restoration of traditional ecological knowledge as essential components of healing our fractured world. Through this lens, 'First Nations' is not just a term but a call to honor and uphold the self-determination and sacred stewardship that these communities embody.

See also: native people, mother earth, social change, indigenous peoples, indigenous movements