360 



CREE 



[b. a. e. 



At some comparatively recent time the 

 Assiniboin, a branch of the Sioux, in 

 consequence of a quarrel, broke away 

 from their brethren and sought alli- 

 ance with the Cree. The latter received 

 them cordially and granted them a home 

 in their territory, thereby forming 

 friendly relations that have continued to 

 the present day. The united tribes at- 

 tacked and drove southwestward the Sik- 

 sika and allied tribes who formerly dwelt 

 along the Saskatchewan. The enmity 

 between these tribes and both the Siksika 

 and the Sioux has ever since continued. 

 After the Cree obtained firearms they 

 made raids into the Athapascan country, 

 even to the Rocky mts. and as far n. 

 as Mackenzie r., but Churchill r. was 

 accounted the extreme n. limit of their 

 territory, and in their cessions of land to 

 Canada they claimed nothing beyond this 

 line. Mackenzie, speaking of the region 

 of Churchill r., says the original people of 

 this area, probably Slaves, were driven 

 out by the Cree. 



As "the people of this tribe have been 

 friendly from their first intercourse with 

 both the English and the French, and 

 until quite recently were left compara- 

 tively undisturbed in the enjoyment of 

 their territory, there has been but little 

 recorded in regard to their history. This 

 consists almost wholly of their contests 

 with neighboring tribes and their re- 

 lations with the Hudson Bay Co. In 

 1786, according to Hind, these Indians, 

 as well as those of surrounding tribes, 

 were reduced to less than half their 

 former numbers by smallpox. The same 

 disease again swept off at least half the 

 prairie tribes in 1838. They were thus 

 reduced, according to Hind, to one-sixth 

 or one-eighth of their former j^opulation. 

 In more recent years, since game has 

 become scarce, they have lived chiefly 

 in scattered bands, depending largely 

 on trade with the agents of the Hudson 

 Bay Co. At present they are gathered 

 chiefly in bands on various reserves in 

 Manitoba, mostly with the Chippewa. 



Their dispersion into bands subject to 

 different conditions with regard to the 

 supply and character of their food has re- 

 sulted in varying physical characteristics; 

 hence the varying descriptions given by 

 explorers. JNIackenzie, who describes the 

 Cree comprehensively, says they are of 

 moderate stature, well proportioned, and 

 of great activity. Their complexion is 

 copper-colored and their hair black, 

 as is common among Indians. Their 

 eyes are black, keen, and penetrating; 

 their countenance open and agreeable. 

 In regard to the women he says: "Of all 

 the nations which I have seen on this 

 continent, the Knisteneaux women are 

 the most comely. Their figure is gener- 



ally well proportioned, and the regularity 

 of their features would be acknowledged 

 by the more civilized people of Europe. 

 Their complexion has less of that dark 

 tinge which is common to those savages 

 who have less cleanly habits." Umfre- 

 ville, from whom Mackenzie appears to 

 have copied in part what is here stated, 

 says that they are more inclined to be 

 lean of body than otherwise, a corpulent 

 Indian being "a much greater curiosity 

 than a sober one." Clark (Sign Lan- 

 guage, 1885) describes the Cree seen by 

 him as wretchedly ])Oor and mentally and 

 physically inferior to the Plains Indians; 

 and Harmon says that those of the tribe 

 who inhaV)it the plains are fairer and more 

 cleanly than the others. 



Their hair was cut in various fashions, 

 according to the tril>al divisions, and ]>y 

 some left in its natural state. Henry 

 says the young men shaved off the hair 

 except a small spot on the crown of the 

 head. Their dress consisted of tight Ifeg- 

 gings, reaching nearly to the hip, a strip 

 of cloth or leather about 1 ft. wide and 

 5 ft. long passing between the legs and 

 under a jaelt around the waist, the ends 

 being allowed to hang down in front and 

 behind; a vest or shirt reaching to the 

 hips; sometimes a cap for the head made 

 of a piece of fur or a small skin, and 

 sometimes a robe thrown over the dress. 

 These articles, with moccasins and mit- 

 tens, constituted their apparel. The dress 

 of the women consisted of the same mate- 

 rials, but the shirt extended to the knees, 

 being fastened over the shoulders with 

 cords and at the waist with a belt, and 

 having a flap at the shoulders; the arms 

 were covered to the wrist with detached 

 sleeves. Umfreville says that in trading, 

 fraud, cunning, Indian finesse, and every 

 concomitant vice was practised by them 

 from the boy of 12 years to the octogena- 

 rian, but where trade was not concerned 

 they were scrupulously honest. Macken- 

 zie says that they were naturally mild and 

 affable, as well as just in their dealings 

 amongthemselvesand with strangers; that 

 any deviation from these traits is to be 

 attributed to the influence of the white 

 traders. He also describes them as gen- 

 erous, hospitable, and exceedingly good 

 natured except when under the influence 

 of spirituous liquor. Chastity was not 

 considered a virtue among them, though 

 infidelity of a wife was sometimes severely 

 punished. Polygamy was common; and 

 when a man's wife died it was considered 

 his duty to marry her sister, if she had one. 

 The arms and utensils used before trade 

 articles were introduced by the whites 

 were i)ots of stone, arrow-points, spear- 

 heads, hatchets, and other edged tools of 

 flint, knives of buffalo rib, fishhooks made 

 out of sturgeon bones, and awls from 



