CREE INDIANS IN CANADA

CREE INDIANS SPEAK ALGONQUIAN LANGUAGE AND THERE ARE 45,000 PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN CANADA AND INTO MONTANA. THEY HAVE 5 MAJOR DIALECTS,SOME ARE CLOSE TO THE INNU LANGUAGE. THE CREE UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE CLOSE TO THEM BUT NOT FURTHER AWAY. THE CREE LANGUAGE HAS THE BEST SURVIVAL CANADIAN LANGUAGES. THEY ARE ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL OF AMERICAN INDIANS. MOST OF THEIR CHILDREN ARE RAISED BILINGUALLY IN CREE AND ENGLISH OR FRENCH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE.

THE CREE ARE THE LARGEST AND NATIVE GROUP IN CANADA WITH 200,000 MEMBERS AND SELF GOVERNED NATIONS. CREE COMES FROM FRENCH NAME FOR TRIBE 'KRISTENAUX AND AN ALGONQUIN WORD MEANING "FIRST PEOPLE". THEY ARE ALSO MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE KNOWN AS METIS OR MIXED BLOOD OF CREE, FRENCH, AND CANADIAN ANCESTRY. THE MANY CREE REGARD THE METIS AS THEIR BRETHREN AND INDEED THEY SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. THE ATIKEMENK AND IMMU ARE RELATED CREE BUT CONSIDER THEMSELVES DISTINCT.

CREE HISTORY IS VERY HARD TO SUMMARIZE BECAUSE THE CREE TRIBE SPANS A BROAD TERRITORY ACROSS THE EAST. CREE HISTORY IS VERY HARD TO SUMMARIZE BECAUSE THE CREE TRIBE SPANS SPANS A BROAD TERRITORY ACROSS THE EAST. THEIR COMMON CULTURE AND LANGUAGE BINDS THEM TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE WEATHERED ANGLO DISEASES WELL AS THEIR NAME NUMBERS AND BROAD RANGE HELPED TO KEEP THE DISEASES FROM SPREADING TOO MUCH. THEY PRACTICED INTERTRIBAL MARRIAGES.

THE ENGLISH TRIED TO MOVE GROUPS FURTHER FROM THEIR LANDS WHILE LANDS WHILE THE FRENCH TRIED TO MOVE GROUPS FURTHER FROM THEIR LANDS AND ENGULF THEM. THE FRENCH AND CREE GOT ALONG WELL. THE CREE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AS MOST NATIVE AMERICANS DO - SELF DETERMINATION AND LAND CONTROL. BUT THEY ARE BETTER MAINTAINED TO FACE THEIR PROBLEMS.

TODAY THERE ARE 200,000 CREE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES OF CANADA AND THE NORTHERN U.S. ALSO THERE ARE 100,000 METIS IN CANADA. THE PLAINS AND WOODLAND CREE ARE THE SAME. EACH CREE COMMUNITY HAS IT'S OWN RESERVE. INDIAN LANDS ARE CALLED FIRST NATIONS. THEIR POLITICAL LEADER IS CALLED A CHIEF WHO CAN BE EITHER A MAN OR A WOMAN. THE CREE SPEAK ENGLISH OR FRENCH AND SOME SPEAK CREE. IT IS A MUSICAL LANGUAGE. THE CHILDREN LEARNED FROM THE PAST BY WATCHING THEIR PARENTS. THEY HAD TO HELP AROUND THE HOUSE. THE KIDS HAD MORE CHORES THAN TODAY. THE BOYS PLAYED LA CROSS.

NATIVE-LANGUAGES.ORG