Cree Teepee Frame Poster

They say the Crees have lived along the shores of Eastern James Bay for somewhere between 5000 and 10,000 years. Yet, there is no physical evidence to support this fact because the Crees who live here used to be nomatic and hunted for their sustanance leaving no permanent evidence of their existance. However, there is evidence that the art of building a structure has been passed on from generation to generation through the matriach of the society. That is the art of building an authentic Eastern James Bay Cree Teepee. Northern Eastern James Bay teepees are unique in design. Only three poles are tied together at the top. These three poles support a structure of perhaps as many as 50 poles that when covered can withstand sustained winds in excess of 90 kilometres an hour. Are there still teepees built today? Yes, and they can be seen by driving north along the James Bay Highway in Quebec to the village of Chisasibi Quebec. Here nearly every family builds a teepee in their backyard and also build them at their hunting and trapping camps. In the late fall, the canvas covers are taken off and what remains is the teepee frame which remains defiant against the winter storms. The Crees of James Bay love their teepees and will forever use them as symbols of their cultural heritage. Jimmy Sam