PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Location:
The Cree tribe were originally people of the Sub-artic region in Canada whose lands once extended from the Ottawa River to Saskatchewan River.
Hunters/Farming:
The Cree Indians were primarily hunting people. Northern Cree hunters pursued caribou, elk, and moose, as well as smaller game like beaver and rabbits. For the Eastern Cree, fishing and hunting seals from canoes were more important. Cree women gathered nuts and fruits, and in southern bands, they also grew some corn.
Weapons:
The most famous Cree weapon was the bow and arrow. The Crees used bows and arrows for both hunting and war. Other Cree weapons included spears, clubs, and knives.
Trading:
The most important Cree trading partners were actually other Crees. There were many different Cree bands, and they were closely allied with each other. Eventually, these used goods, especially firearms, would be traded to other tribes, such as the Blackfeet, for horses.
Settlement Aspect:
Each Cree community lives on its own reserve. Reserves are lands that belong to the Crees and are under their control. Each Cree tribe is politically independent and has its own government, laws, police, and services, just like a small country.
Shelters:
Throughout the many Cree groups, there are many shelters used. On the plains, the preferred shelter was the tipi because it was easy to pack up and bring someplace else.
The woodland Cree used a different shelter: the wigwam. It was made of birch bark.
Daily Life:
The Plains Cree were very good at adapting to whatever environment they inhabited. By the 1800s, the Plains Cree had developed a specific way of life because of where they lived. The most important feature of their environment was the buffalo (the North American bison).
Leadership Structure:
The political leader of a Cree band is called a chief (okimahkan in the Cree language.) In the past, Cree chiefs were men who had distinguished themselves in war. Today chiefs can be men or women, and they are elected in most Cree bands, just like mayors and governors.
The most famous leaders and chiefs included Chief Poundmaker, Chief Big Child, Starblanket, Flash in the Sky, Chief Big Bear, Chief Fine Day, and Chief Cut Nose.
Family Structure:
•The children played with each other, go to school, help around the house and some like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers.
•Cree men were hunters and fishermen, and they sometimes went to war to protect their families.
•Cree women took care of the children and built their family's house.
Books:
•As Long As The Rivers Flow
•The Eeyou
•The Song Within My Heart
•The Plains Cree
•Native American book
