Woodland Cree

This article is about the ethnic group. For a particular band government, seeWoodland Cree First Nation.

TheSakāwithiniwakorWoodland Cree,are aCreepeople, calling themselvesNîhithawin their own dialect of the language. They are the largestindigenousgroup in northernAlbertaand are anAlgonquianpeople. Prior to the 18th century, their territory extended west ofHudson Bay,as far north asChurchill.Although in westernNorthern SaskatchewanandManitoba,by the 18th century, they acted as middlemen in trade with western tribes. After acquiring guns through trade, they greatly expanded their territory and drove other tribes further west and north.

The Rocky Cree orAsinikaw Īthiniwakare often grouped alongside the Woodland Cree, though many see them as a distinct group of Cree.The Rocky Cree once spoke a distinct"r"dialect of Cree before assimilating into the Woodland"th"dialect.

Culture

Their lodges varied in materials depending upon where they lived. In the southern areas they lived in birch-barkwigwams,and further north, where birch was more stunted, they used coverings of pine boughs and caribou hide over conical structures. There was a clear division of labour among men and women. The men hunted, fished, madecanoes,sledges,hunting tools and weapons of war. The women foraged, snared rabbits and other smallmammals,tanned hides, cut firewood, madesnowshoes,pitched tents, hauled wood, wove fish nets, and made clothing adorned with quill- and bead-work. Coats and blankets were made from woven hare skin or soft caribou fur. In the spring and autumn the Woodland Cree hunted ducks and geese, and ptarmigan in the winter. Like many other tribes that depended upon snowshoe hares for food and clothing, they were affected by the periodic decline in populations, especially in the ninth and tenth years when hares almost altogether disappeared. Winter was a particularly difficult time for the Woodland Cree.

Post-Contact

The Woodland Cree were one of the first Aboriginal nations west of Hudson Bay to trade withEuropeanfur traders,as early as the 17th century. They became very closely associated with the fur trade and adapted their clothing and many aspects of their lifestyle and culture to European ways. Considered excellenthuntersandtrappers,they provided meat andpemmicanto the fur trade posts and furs, either directly, or indirectly from trade with other tribes. Marriages or alliances between Cree women and fur traders became an essential link in fur trade negotiations. Because families were on the move most of the time, women in childbirth often had their babies on the trail.

The offspring of this alliance formed the basis of a new nation of people, theMétis,who adopted the lifestyle of their mother's people or of Europeans and received education in order to become clerks and traders for theNorth WestandHudson's Bay Companies.By 1800, the Cree were well established inAlberta,fromAthabasca-Peace deltain the north, along thePeace Riverand south as far as theSaskatchewan River.

Woodland Cree use legends to convey stories throughout time. Many legends are about aspects of the environment, such as "How the raven stole the sun" and "Deawitchita and the fire rock." It is said that those who tell the legends have the mostikanisha,which means wisdom in woodland cree.

Woodland Cree historical groups

• As'in'i'wa'chi Ni'yaw Nation ('People who live along the Rocky Mountains'); including groups ofDane-zaa (Beaver)as well asIroquoistrappers and voyageurs who came to the territory with the North West Company in the 18th century and intermarried with the First Nation - forerunners of today's Kelly Lake Cree Nation.
  • Rocky Cree / Mountain Cree (Asini Wachi Nīhithawī), Cree groups of the Asini Wachi Wi Iniwak( "People of the rocky [land]') orAsinīwaciwithiniwak('People who live along the Rocky Mountains'); including groups ofAssiniboine,Iroquois,Danezaa,Sekani,OjibweandSecwepemc) Primarily gathered in theRocky Mountainregion of Alberta.
• Rocky Cree / Rock Cree. Primarily gathered in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Forerunners of today'sLac La Ronge First Nation,Peter Ballantyne Cree NationandMontreal Lake Cree Nation
  • Nelson River Cree (Nisichawayasi Nehethowak) (Nisichawayasihk- 'Place, where three rivers meet'),lived from theUpper Nelson Riverwest towards theSturgeon-Weir River- forerunners of today's Rocky Cree nations ofNisichawayasihk Cree NationandO-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation.
  • Churchill River Cree or Minnisippi Cree (Minisipi Īthiniwak-People who live along the Churchill River.) Named after the Cree name for theChurchill River,Minnisippi, which translates to "large body of water.". Forerunners of today'sMathias Colomb First Nation.
  • Asini Pwat-sak (Ye Xa Ya Bine NakodaorHebina Assiniboine,Assiniboine groups of theAsini Wachi Wi Iniwak),also known asStrong WoodorThickwood Assiniboine,including Métis, Secwepemc,Kutenai,andPlains Cree- forerunners of today'sStoney Nakoda Nation,comprising the Wesley's (Goodstoney's), Chiniki andBearspaw First Nations.
  • Cross Lake Cree (Pimicikamāk- 'flowing across',Pimicikamak Iniwak,Pimicikamāk Nīhithawī- 'People of the Lake that lies Athwart', alsoNikikonakos- 'OtterPeople'),lived at the shores ofCross Lakeand at the watershed of theUpper Nelson River,north of todayWinnipeg,Manitoba, includingMistowaiau-Wininiwuk- 'Winnepeg People' of the Plains Ojibwe and Assiniboine - forerunners of today'sCross Lake First NationandPimicikamak Cree Nation,also known as 'Cross Lake Band', therefore oft confused with the 'Cross Lake First Nation', theNikikonakos- 'Otter People'.
• Woods Cree / Bush Cree orSakāwithini(wak)('Woods-people') orSakā-Nīhithawīk('Woods Cree'); including groups of Assiniboine, Iroquois,Chipewyan,Dane-zaa,Slavey,Saulteaux- forerunners of today'sAlexander First Nation,Whitefish Lake First Nation,West Moberly First Nations,Saulteau First Nations,Fort Nelson First Nation,Blueberry River First Nations,Fort McMurray First Nation,Fort McKay First Nation
  • Lesser Slave Lake Cree - forerunners of today'sBigstone Cree Nation,Peerless Trout First Nation,Driftpile First Nation,Kapawe'no First Nation,Sawridge First Nation,Sucker Creek Cree First Nation,Swan River First Nation.
  • Athabasca Lake Cree orĀyapāskāwiyiniwak,along the shores ofLake Athabasca,north ofLesser Slave Lake,between theWabasca RiverandPeace River- forerunners of today's Bigstone Cree First Nation,Lubicon Lake Nation,Tallcree First Nation,Little Red River Cree Nation,Mikisew Cree First NationandWoodland Cree First Nation.
  • Woodland / Bush Assiniboine (inCree:Saka Pwat-sak,Saka Wi Pwacak,Sakbwatsûk- 'Assiniboines of the Woodland'), groups of theSaka Wi Iniwak,including Woodland Cree,Métis,Danezaa, and Iroquois - forerunners of today'sAlexis Nakota Sioux First NationandPaul First Nation.
  • Beaver Lake Cree (Amisk Sakahikan Wi Iniwak- 'People of the Beaver Lake'), lived along the shores ofBeaver LakeandLac La Biche- forerunners of today'sBeaver Lake Cree Nation.
  • Beaver River Cree (Amisk Sipi Wi Iniwak,Amisksipiwiyiniwak- 'People of the Beaver River'), lived along theBeaver River,which originates in theLac La Biche Lake,and enters in theChurchill River.
  • Saki Ta-wa Ininiwak (Sakitawa Wi Iniwak,'People of the place where the rivers flow out/meet'),the name for theÎle-à-la-Crosse,lived between the Beaver River and Île-à-la-Crosse, including manyMétis- forerunners of today'sCanoe Lake Cree Nation.

See also

• Cree
• First Nations in Alberta
• List of Indian reserves in Saskatchewan
• RAVEN (Respecting Aboriginal Values & Environmental Needs)