We have occupied the lands and waters of northern
Manitoba since time immemorial.
The forefathers of Split Lake Cree
were hunters and gatherers who
lived off the rich resources of the
lands and waters.
Their way of life
centred around the lakes and rivers
where wildlife and plant resources
could be harvested.
Fish were a
particularly important source of
food and were abundant.
The Cree were a water people.
Living along the shores of the lakes
and rivers, they hunted and fished,
and gathered herbs and berries from
along the shoreline.
The lakes and
rivers were the roads by which they
travelled.
The waters, the shorelines,
the shallows, the marshes, the
riverbanks and willow thickets
supported the fish, plants and
animals that fed and sheltered them.
Centuries of occupation and use of
the lands and waters enabled the
identification and selection of the
most useful and fruitful areas for
residence and harvesting, in keeping
with the rhythms of the seasons.
