FOOD AND ECONOMY

The Cree lived in a harsher environment than the more southerly or west coast peoples. They had to endure long cold winters and hot, mosquito-infested summers. There were not many plant foods available so their diet relied mostly on hunting large and small animals with bows and arrows or snares. Like the Ojibwa, the Cree also feared the spirit of the flesh-eating Windigo who could drive some of their people to cannibalism during times of starvation in winter.

DWELLINGS

The Cree lived in dome-shaped wigwams. The pole structures were often covered in animal skins instead of birchbark. In winter they lived in sod houses.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND RELIGION

In the hunting season the Cree travelled in hunting bands of three to five families. In summer they gathered in larger communities around a lake where they could fish. Religion influenced their hunting practices. The hunter had to respect the animal he was hunting. It was a “gift” and the animal would not allow its species to be caught again if the kill was not given thanks and respect. Sometimes animal bones were burned and the cracks and scorch marks on their surfaces were interpreted as trails to follow in search of game.