the Plains Cree people by Isaac and Reynold

Political Organization

• the political leader of a Cree band is called a chief (okimahkan in the Cree language)
• In the past Cree chiefs were men that distinguished themselves in war
• The Cree chief in the past was always a man.
• Today Cree women can be chief too.
• They are elected in just like you would a mayor and governors.

Kinship

Hunting

• Plains Cree men were hunters and fishermen, they sometimes went to war to protect their families.
• Plains Cree women took care of the children, built their family's house (tipi) and gathered plants to eat and herbs to use for medicine.
• Cree social structure was based on a kinship system that is reinforced through relationships found in the language, customs and traditions
• Each person in the village had defined roles and responsibilities, which were strictly adhered to.
• This interdependence was necessary for survival.
• Matrilocal while wife is pregnant, then after birth the wife moves to her husbands clan to make it patrilocal.

Building the frame of SunDance

Plains Cree Sun Dance Ceremony

Early Cree Sun Dance

• The Plains Cree followed the buffalo herds in a nomadic lifestyle. They hunted caribou, elk, and moose as well as smaller animals like beaver, and rabbit.
• when plains Cree people hunted buffalo, they sometimes used controlled fires to herd the animals into a trap or over a cliff.

Outside walls of Sun Dance

Shamanism

Plains Cree Sun Dancers

Interior of a Sun Dance

Plains Cree Hunters

Social Organization

The Plains Cree

In the Plains Cree language, Atayohkan are the spirits (or Manito) that look after all of the living things that were created.

They practiced the Vision Quest, this meant that young men went off by themselves, without food or water for several days, until they acquired a spirit helper. They also practiced an ancient ceremony called the Sun Dance. The people referred to it as Nipakwe Cimuwin or "thirst dance." It requires personal strength and courage. You would dance outdoors for four days without food or water.

Plains Cree Children's Games

The Plains Cree have produced some of the most famous and revered Aboriginal Leaders in Canadian History.

Okimaw (Band Chief or Leader)

Chieftainship was earned. A man would have to demonstrate he was worthy. Okimaw often were accomplished warriors, skilled hunters, persuasive orators, able executives, and liberal thinkers. Of all these traits, bravery in combat was perhaps most highly regarded.

Kihtockinikiwak (Worthy Young Men)

Second to Okimaw in leadership. Many were sons of Chiefs. They were young men that performed valorous deed in battle who acted like junior chiefs but had no specific responsibilities.

Dried corn

Plains Cree Woman

Plains Cree Woman Harvesting Corn

By Isaac & Reynold

Harvesting

Art cont...

Maps

The Plains Cree Hunting

Plains Cree people hunting buffalo.

Today, Cree artists are well known in Canada. Among them is George Littlechild, whose work is found in books and galleries.

Gordon Miller is a Cree artist that uses more bright and vibrant colours and takes a more contemporary view of aboriginal art to make it more accessible and enjoyable for today's audience.

George Littlechild, book

George Littlechild, chiefs

The Plains Cree pushing buffalo off a cliff.

Gordon Miller, caribou

Agriculture

• The Plains Cree were hunters, and they hunted bears, rabbits, wild turkey, muskrat, and beavers, but their main supply of meat came from buffalo.
• Plains Cree were also amazing fishers; they mostly caught pickeral, stergeon and trout from rivers and lakes all year round.
• They were smart about hunting , because they didn't hunt during the mating season to keep up animal population.
• In summer, fishers would either use nets or fishing rods
• They collect plants and herbs for medicine and would gather differing berries, nuts, and fruit.
• Bows and arrows were used when hunting; they would occasionally use traps as well.
• Their 3 main supplies of produce were squash, corn, and beans.

Domesticated

Plains Cree village

Some of the different types of Plains Cree Art

Mukluks and Moccasins in the making

• Over land, the Plains Cree people used dogs as pack animals. (There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.)
• Birch bark canoes were used on lakes for hunting and traveling
• Snowshoes were also used during winter months

Dream catcher

Cree "Indian Council"

Chief Big Bear

Colourful Bead work

THE END!

Plains Cree Village

Birch Bark Canoe

Plains Cree Sled Dog

Snow Shoe Maker

Birch Bark Canoe

Plains Cree Snow Shoes

Art

Language

The Plains Cree were artists who painted for both ceremonial and non-ceremonial purposes. Tipis were painted and decorated by Cree artists and included representations of spirit helpers. Since women were sole owners of the lodges, then men needed their approval before beginning to paint.

Dream catchers, colourful bead work, mukluks and moccasins are a part of Cree art.

• Plains Cree is a dialect of the algonquian language, Cree
• - out of the 80 thousands speakers of the Cree language, the Plains Cree dialect is spoken by about 34,000 people primarly in saskatchewan.