-Native American Culture-
I’m doing my blog about the Native
American tribe in Canada; its name is Cree. The Cree tribe’s home territories
are Canada, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. Their native language is
Cree. Their alliances are the Navajo. The Cree tribe is known as one of the
largest tribes in North America. The native name is Nehilawe and it means
‘’those who speak our nation’s language’’.
Cree Indians Are a ‘’vast’’ tribe of Native Americans. (Indians.org pg.1) Their Locations include the
Rocky Mountains, and areas along the Atlantic Coast.
-Cree
History-
Cree Indians heavily populate Quebec and
Saskatchewan (Indians.Org Pg.1) There are different bands of Cree Indians such
as, James Bay Cree, Woodland Cree, Plain Cree Indians and more. To be specific
there is 135 different bands of Cree Indians. Approximately there is 200,000
Cree Indians. ‘Cree Indians were a first nation of Canada’ says Indian.Org.
Several members of the Cree Tribe live on reservations today. They have their own
political System, schools, government, and more.
The Cree tribe has similarities to us
Americans now days. The Cree Indians that live on reservations work, children
are required to go to school. Parents teach their children the Cree culture and
still stand by it, as well as live by it. They also learn their religious
language. During the early 1900's the tribes petitioned the government for a
reservation and in 1916 the Rocky Boy Reservation was established for the
Chippewa-Cree Indians. In the Past Cree
children had more chores and less playing time like colonial children. The boys
liked fishing and hunting. The older boys also played games like lacross.
-Cree
Culture-
-The Cree culture is very interesting to me. Their
Language that’s spoken is English and/or French. They also speak they native language,
which is Cree. Cree language is a musical Language. Some examples of Cree words
are: ‘’Tansi’’ which is a friendly greeting. Also there is ‘’Mahti’’ Pronounced
(mah-tee) and it means please. This is interesting to me because I love how
they were able to learn 3 languages that are very distinct and different from
each other and also difficult to learn. Their Native language (Cree) has lots
of complicated verbs.
- Women Roles in Cree culture were taking
care of their children, building their family’s house, and gathering plants to
eat as well as herbs for medicine. The Men roles were to hunt, fish, and
sometimes go to war. Both Males and Females did storytelling, artwork, music,
and religious festivals. (in the past the chief would always be a male but now
in the present future women are also chiefs.)
- Cree
Homes- in the woodlands the Cree people lived in villages made up of birch
bark buildings called wigwams. On the plains people lived in teepees or buffalo
hide tents. The teepees were easier to move from different places than the
wigwams. Today people only use wigwams and teepees for religious ceremonies. Now
a days most Cree’s live in regular houses and apartments.
-Clothing- Cree Indian women wore long dreeses that had removable
sleeves. The men wore breech cloth and leggings. Both male and female wore
mochasins on their feet. They also wore cloaks or ponchos for rainy days. Later
the cree started to wear things like bouises and jackets. They would style
their clothes with ambrodery and beadwork. For tradition the Crees wore fur or
leather caps with feathers. They also wore long feathered hairdresses. Tribal
Tattos on their faces was also popular. (art)
-Cree Food-
They
Hunted Mostly, Things like, elk, beaver, rabbit, and moose. For eastern Cree
They fished and hunted. The women gathered fruits and nuts. They grew corn to
eat. Pemmican was a traditional food
made up of dried meat.
-How did Native American eating
habits change after Europeans arrived?
The
Europeans introduced new plants and animals. Things like bananas, wheat, sheep,
and cows. Since Europeans killed most of
the buffalo, tribes that used to follow the buffalo herds had to find new ways
of living.
-Cree Religion-
The
Cree held Sun Dances annually as well as on special occasions. Sun Dances were
profoundly religious and social occasions. Everyone prayed and called on the
spirits to grant them special favors, such as the recovery of a sick child.
Each
Cree band had at least one Askitci or Pipestem bundle. This special bundle was
believed to have been given by Kice Manito to Earth Man, the first human being.
Inside the bundle was the Sacred Pipestem, which was not used for smoking but
as a powerful peacemaking talisman.
During
My research of this Native American Tribe I learned a whole lot. I like this
tribe because there is so many different things and cool facts to learn. I also
like that the women don’t just make food and look after the children, they do
more than that, and I also like how the women are allowed to be chiefs. If I
were a Native American and I had to choose a tribe to be apart of the Cree
tribe.
Work
Cited-
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