The Plains Cree lived on the northern Great Plains; like other Plains Indians, their traditional economy focused on bison hunting and gathering wild plant foods. After acquiring horses and firearms, they were more militant than the Woodland Cree, raiding and warring against many other Plains tribes.

How did the Cree make decisions?

Government. The Cree government was based on a system in which chiefs, councils, leaders, elders, women, and youth all participated in group decision-making, and all voices were heard.

Are there Cree in the US?

In the United States, Cree people historically lived from Lake Superior westward. Today, they live mostly in Montana, where they share the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation with Ojibwe (Chippewa) people.

How were the Cree governed?

Cree Government Before Europeans arrived, the Cree had little in the way of formal government. They lived as small bands each led by a chief. The chief was respected and listened to, but did not rule over the people. Today, each Cree reservation has its own government led by a chief and a council of leaders.

Why did the Cree move westward?

Over time, the expansion of European settlers and the loss of the buffalo herds forced the Plains Cree to move to reservations and take up farming. In Canada, the Metis and Cree fought the Canadian government forces when the building of the Canadian Pacific Railroad encroached upon their lands.

How did the Cree choose their leaders?

According to Joseph Dion, author of My Tribe, The Crees, “The okimaw or leader of a group or band was always well looked after by his followers. During summer months, an okimaw and his council would appoint a camp leader, usually a man with powerful spirit helpers, to select group camp sites.

What did the Cree do?

What were Cree men and women’s roles? Cree men were hunters and fishermen, and they sometimes went to war to protect their families. Cree women took care of the children, built their family’s house, and gathered plants to eat and herbs to use for medicine.

What does Cree mean in Native American?

What does it mean? The name Cree, comes from “Kristineaux”, or “Kri” for short; a name given to Native Americans from the James Bay area by French fur traders. In their own language the Crees call themselves Iyiniwok or Ininiwok, meaning “the people,” or Nehiyawok, “speakers of the Cree language.”

What did the Cree use to hunt?

The Crees used bows and arrows for both hunting and war. Other Cree weapons included spears, clubs, and knives. When Plains Cree men hunted buffalo, they sometimes used controlled fires to herd the animals into a trap or over a cliff.