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Canadian Theme Unit

The Cree - Canada's Largest Tribe

The Cree - Canada's Largest Tribe
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.08

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    caribou, staple, camp, caption, roots, posts, traveled, southern, canoe, south, settle, coast, stayed, lived, access, tender
     content words:    North America, First Nations, Rocky Mountains, James Bay, Woodlands Cree, Swamp Cree, Plains Cree, Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, Bay Company

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The Cree - Canada's Largest Tribe
By Mary Lynn Bushong 		  
1     Caption: Cree camp on the prarie south of Vermilion, Alberta, September 1871
 
2     Long before people came from Europe to settle in North America, the First Nations already lived there. Some of the tribes stayed small, while others spread out over vast distances. One of the largest tribes in Canada was the Cree.
 
3     The Cree spread out over a large part of Canada. They ranged from the Rocky Mountains east to the Atlantic and north to James Bay. Their largest populations were in Quebec and Saskatchewan.
 
4     The people lived in so many places; they were named according to where they lived. These groups are called bands, like Woodlands Cree, Swamp Cree, Plains Cree, etc.
 
5     All the Cree spoke one basic language called Algonquin. Many different tribes spoke this language on the east coast of North America. The different bands had their own way of speaking the language. It was called a dialect.
 
6     Homes of the Cree people varied according to where they lived. Plains Cree lived in teepees, while Woodlands Cree lived in wigwams.
 
7     Bison were a staple food in the West, while caribou were the main source of meat in the North. When the bison herds were gone, deer took their place.
 
8     The Cree also ate smaller animals and birds, too. Rabbits could be snared and fowl like geese, ducks, and grouse could be shot.
 
9     Fish were also important to the Cree. They could be caught all year.

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