Some native words used by Cree Indians: Kiwetin meaning the north wind that brings misfortune (Gill, Sullivan 158). Another word is maskwa used for bear, the most intelligent and spiritually powerful land animal (Gill, Sullivan 182). A water lynx that holds control over lakes and rivers is called "Michi-Pichoux"; they are associated with unexplained deaths (Gill, Sullivan 189). Tipiskawipisim is used for the moon who is the sister of the sun. Once a flood destroys the first humans, Tipiskawipisim creates the first female (Gill, Sullivan 303).

The history of the Cree Indians begins where they live for the most part in Canada, and some share reservations with other tribes in North Dakota. The Cree Indians, an Alogonquian tribe sometimes called Knisteneau, were essentially forest people, though an offshoot, the so-called Plains Cree, were buffalo hunters. The Cree's first encounter with white people was in 1640, the French Jesu

The Cree Indians are a very diverse cultural group of people who have true meaning in all aspects of their life. The European culture has changed their way of life from what is used to be from the start of their existence. It is important that the Cree youth not loose touch with their native ways of being able to carry on their story telling, myths, legends, religion, rituals, and native customs.

Upon the introduction of the horse, some tribes became nomadic moving to where they found buffalo, deer, and other wild life to hunt or fish. When tribes met up with one another they would use sign language to trade and barter. Recently, three forms of religious beliefs have been found in the entire plains area: the sun dance, the ghost dance, and the Native American Church. Some tribes for visionary purposes used sweat lodge ceremonies, Two great resources of the plains people, buffalo and maize were associated with a female figure in reference to her fertility suggesting female beginnings. Indians would hold rituals calling upon each of the four winds to give them good gifts and keep back the bad. An example would be in the summer the heat from the south and in the winter the freezing cold from the north (Carmody 61).

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Currently there continues to be a high level of unemployment. The economic benefits of the hydroelectric project has been directed to southern urban centers, not boosting the development of Cree villages in any way. The Cree face several major threats presently considering natural resources that are no longer available to them because of the hydro dam, paper mills, and mining companies. Even though the Cree have made it through the last two decades as a united people, they struggle to achieve their goals in relationship to the government and project developers on the land they share (GCCEI).

Another method of cooking was to use a paunch of freshly killed animal suspended with stakes, of which inside it was placed water and meat, along with organ meats and the stones (Cox, Jacobs 99).

Cox, Beverly, and Jacobs, Martin. Spirit Of The Harvest: North American Indian Cooking. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1991.

A ritual the plains tribes held sacred was the use of the sacred pipe and the sweat lodge. The pipe filled with tobacco and smoked was used to mediate with the Great Spirit as the smoke drifted heavenward. The pipe was also used for social purposes such as reconciling enemies, uniting tribal members, and to express good fellowship. The sweat lodge was used for a person to be cleansed by perspiration as water was poured over hot stones to create steam. While the bodies impurities left it, the mind and heart would also be cleaned of anything bad to be able to commune with the Great Spirit (Carmody 66).

ver where he slept to help him dream more bear dreams. Out of respect for the bear the hunter sometimes would put the hide away for one year before using it. The skin under the bear's chin was given special attention. A successful bear's hunter's wife would decorate it with beads, quills, and little tassels of cloth to give to her husband as a hunting charm (Rockwell 39).

The tribes who were nomadic to pursue hunting buffalo would trade dried meat, tanned hides, and decorated garments for vegetables of the tribes that were raising vegetables. Corn, beans, and squash were all dried to reduce bulk. Corn could be left to dry in the fields, gathered and shelled to make into hominy by boiling with ashes. Corn was also parched by baking in pottery containers over fires. Later it could be pounded into a coarse flour mixed with either sunflower seed flour, shelled nut meats, service berries, a little water, and hot melted tallow or marrow formed into small balls known as corn balls. Cornballs were used by hunters and used for trading. Another way to preserve corn was to parboil or roast unshucked ears of green corn for ten to f

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Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)