Description
The Plains Cree: Trade, Diplomacy and War, 1790 to 1870 by historian John S. Milloy explores the history of the Plains Cree from contact in 1670 to 1870. Milloy relies entirely on D. G. Mandelbaum's The Plains Cree (1940) and Hudson's Bay Company Records for his analysis. The text covers the evolution of the Cree from Woodland canoe-builders to horsemen of the Plains as they migrated from the east to the Saskatchewan River. The trade, diplomacy, and warfare among the Plains Cree and Blackfoot, Mandan-Hidatsa, and Assiniboine are explored. Milloy notes that the Plains Cree territory expanded, they acquired horses, participated in the buffalo hunt, and finally experienced the tragic decline of the buffalo resource. Throughout the period from 1790 to 1870 the Plains Cree developed various trade and military alliances. Some were successful for a period and other factors emerged to cause the alliances to collapse. Milloy promotes to the idea that economic motives drove military alliances and warfare. Missing from the analysis are references to cultural motives and gender relations in Plains Cree culture. Also missing is the Plains Cree perspective of their history. Despite these misgivings the author has portrayed the complex history of Plains peoples into a brief history that spans one hundred years. The book contains an index, maps, charts, and glossary of tribal names. Plains Cree: Trade, Diplomacy and War, 1790 to 1870 is an authorized teaching resource for Alberta Education grade 10, 11, and 12 courses.